


Lightning Dragon Slayer Love - Laxus x OC

by Butterfly553



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Drama, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Getting to Know Each Other, Heartache, Magic, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Memory Alteration, Memory Loss, Swearing, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-07 13:50:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 88,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21459097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Butterfly553/pseuds/Butterfly553
Summary: Adryn is a Fairy Tail member and has been for many years. She's just your average girl with a dark past. Her one goal in life is to take down Ivan Dreyar. She finally gets to take a job that will allow her to do just that, but Laxus and the Thunder Legion also take the job and so they will be forced to work together. So will love blossom between Adryn and Laxus or will everything come crashing down around them?
Relationships: Laxus Dreyar/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 10





	1. Fateful Meeting

Adryn was just a normal member of Fairy Tail. She wasn't that interesting and she wasn't that uninteresting. She was completely normal. However, she was hiding a deep secret that she couldn't tell anyone. She actually had a dragon slayer lacrima embedded within her. Specifically, a lightning dragon slayer lacrima. How did she get that inside of her body? As a child, once her parents mysteriously disappeared, she was taken in by Master Makarov's son, Master Ivan of Raven Tail. He put the lacrima within her when he realized that Laxus was not going to follow him.

While Adryn was secretive and normal, she had a few friends. Her best friend was Mirajane as her original best friends also mysteriously disappeared. I say that, but in truth, both Adryn's parents and friends were murdered by people that Ivan controlled. There was no proof and no bodies, but that is what he told Adryn when she was with him. He always threw that in her face and told her that it was all her fault for disobeying him.

Eventually, after years of abuse and mental, emotional and physical torture, she was released and was allowed to return to Fairy Tail. She agreed to never tell anyone about the time spent with Ivan and that she would pretend that the job really took that long for her to complete. Master Makarov and Mirajane never truly believed her story, but they never pressured her for answers. So, Adryn kept quiet and vowed to never tell a soul about her time with Ivan and Raven Tail.

This is what leads us to where Adryn is now. She just entered the guildhall and walked up to the bar where Mirajane was. She didn't like showing her face at the guildhall, but her best friend requested that she appear there to have a chat before Adryn continued on with her newest job.

“So, why did you summon me? I was about to leave.” Adryn, wrapped in her black cloak, frowned deeply. She really hated other people seeing her and it was rare that she was ever there in the guildhall. Usually, she would sneak in late at night when everyone was too drunk to notice her, but right now it was the middle of the day.

“Well, there was more interest in the job that you took, and Master decided that you shouldn't go alone and instead go with a group,” Mirajane responded with a smile on her face. The frown on Adryn's face deepened.

“Um, how about no.”

“How about yes.” The deep voice of a man from behind Adryn caused her to turn around. She had to look up pretty high to see the face of Laxus. Since she was only 5'2” and he was significantly taller than her she did indeed have to look up pretty high.

“Adryn, this is Laxus. He and the Thunder Legion found the job as well and wanted to take it, but heard that you had already taken it. They requested that they work the job, but since you refused to let it go, you have to work together with them.” Mirajane spoke up while Adryn just glared up at the tall man.

“If it means I have to work with people, then forget that.” Adryn snapped instantly.

“Adryn, you need to be more accustomed to being around people. You can't just live alone for the rest of your life. We are a family and you are a part of that, correct?” It was now Master Makarov speaking much to Adryn's annoyance. She turned to look at him and frowned even deeper than before.

“I guess so.” Adryn finally responded after a moment of thinking.

“Then work together with Laxus and the others. They are good people. Plus, you're alone too much and need to get out with people more.”

“I get it, I'll play nice with them.” Adryn was clearly not thrilled with the situation. However, she still turned to Laxus and began to speak to him. “I don't know about you people, but I'm leaving right now.”

“We are ready as well. Let's all leave together.” It was Freed addressing her now. Adryn nodded her head and watched as Laxus turned around and walked away with Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen following after him. Adryn said goodbye to Mirajane and then followed after them as well. They quickly made their way to the train station and waited for the train to get there. It took a few minutes but eventually, the train arrived. Adryn was a little pale when she watched the train pull up to the station.

“Are you alright?” Evergreen questioned as she looked over to the redhead. Adryn just frowned again nodded her head.

“I'm just not good with things that move is all,” Adryn responded as the five of them climbed up onto the train.

“I see. Laxus isn't good with things that move as well, but that's because he's a dragon slayer. All of them have issues with motion sickness.”

“Evergreen, you shouldn't be so willing to talk about Laxus' weaknesses like that.” Freed scolded as he sat down next to Laxus. Bickslow sat across from Freed and Evergreen sat across from Laxus. Adryn ended up sitting down in the seats next to them. Thankfully, no one else sat around her.

“So, we should get to know each other a bit better since we are going to be working together for a little while.” Evergreen looked over to Adryn as she spoke, but Adryn was looking out of the window and actually seemed to be a little paler than before if that was even possible. “You don't look alright, Adryn.”

“I... I really hate things that move. I have pretty bad motion sickness and I haven't found a good way to avoid it yet.”

“Laxus just rests to avoid getting sick.”

“I wish it was that easy for me, but I'm not used to needing to fight it. I usually just walk around to the jobs that I need to get to.”

“Is that why it is rumored to have taken you five years for a simple job?”

“I have my reasons for taking so long on that job.” With that, Adryn turned her head to look out the window, which then made her go a bit green.

“If you're going to be sick, do it somewhere else.” Laxus instantly snapped. Adryn wasn't even aware that he was even awake, let alone paying attention to her.

“I'll make sure to puke on you then since you're being so kind.” Adryn managed to get out, though it lacked and bite or snark. She was far too sick to get it out in that manner. Laxus just raised an eyebrow at her and looked at her curiously.

“Why did it take you so long for a job? Are you that weak?” It didn't seem like he meant any harm by it. It was just a simple question.

“As I said, I have my reasons.”

“You should be more forthcoming with your comrades,” Freed spoke up, just simply pointing that out.

“Everyone has things that they want to keep to themselves, this is just one of those things,” Adryn responded, just as simply as Freed. That seemed to be enough for them. So, then came another topic.

“Adryn, how old are you?” Evergreen questioned randomly.

“I'm 22.” Evergreen then informed Adryn about their ages. Evergreen was 20, Bickslow was 22, Freed was 20 and Laxus was 23.

“So, what exactly is this job?” Bickslow questioned after Evergreen was done telling Adryn their ages. Freed took a moment to shoot the man a glare for not remembering the details of the job.

“There has been some activity with previous members of Raven Tail. The Magic Council is worried that Raven Tail is making a comeback as a dark guild.” Freed explained quickly.

“Who would be their new leader? Their previous master is still locked up, right?” Evergreen questioned as she looked to Freed. Ivan had gotten locked up due to the actions of his dark guild.

“Actually, he was released just a few months ago due to his sentence being up. He is being monitored and supposedly hasn't made any moves to rebuild his guild. However, he is in the same town as many of his previous guildmates.”

“My father was released?” Laxus questioned as Adryn spoke up as well. She said, “That bastard is out in the world again?!” The Thunder Legion and Laxus looked over at the girl with confusion in their eyes.

“You know Laxus' father?” Freed questioned curiously. Adryn swore to herself for giving that away before she finally decided to respond to the green-haired man.

“Unfortunately, yes I do. I have a not-so-great past with Raven Tail. That's why I wanted this job so badly. I need to stop them before they destroy anyone else's life.” Adryn seemed unhappy to say this, but she knew that she couldn't get out of it currently. She needed to tell them at least a little bit of her secrets to hold them over for now. She wasn't about to say the whole story though. “Ivan is a douchebag, no offense Laxus, I know he's your father, and I need to make sure that he isn't up to anything.”

“I don't like to think of that man as my father.” Laxus simply stated before turning to look out the window. It seemed to be the end of that conversation. However, Evergreen wasn't done with talking quite yet.

“Can you explain more about your past with Raven Tail? How do we know we can trust you after finding out you have a past with them?” Evergreen questioned as she glared over at the redheaded girl. Adryn frowned and opened her mouth, but paused before finally speaking up.

“I was forced to be a member after my parents went missing. Ivan took me in and became my guardian, though I'm fairly certain that he is the one who killed my parents just to get his hands on me.” Adryn said with an angry look in her eyes.

“Why would he want to get his hands on you?” Freed questioned as he looked over at Adryn. The girl sighed and looked out the window.

“I don't know why he chose me, I just know that him doing so, ruined my entire life and has drastically changed the person that I was. He is the reason I was gone for those five years.” Adryn then paused and looked back at the Thunder Legion and Laxus, who were all looking at her now. “I'll explain more at a later time, right now, I really am not feeling too good, so I'm going to sleep, please wake me up when we get there.” With those words, Adryn turned her whole body away from the others and leaned against the window and drifted off to sleep.

“That left

me with more questions than answers,” Freed spoke up after a few moments of silence.

“I feel bad for the girl, she's clearly gone through a lot of stuff,” Bickslow responded with his babies echoing his last few words.

“She's a part of Fairy Tail, you'd think she'd be more open with other members.” Evergreen complained to her friends as she looked over at the now sleeping girl.

“Can you really say that, after all, we did and how we treated the other members? She has her reasons, let her be for now.” Laxus finally spoke up, silencing his friend's comments. Laxus then leaned his head back and drifted off to sleep as well. He'd been suffering through the motion sickness as well as Adryn was, but just hid it better. So, the remaining part of the trip to their job's town was in silence.

~

“Adryn, get up.” Adryn was jolted awake by Evergreen shaking the girl. Adryn shot up and stood up all at once.

“I'm awake!” Adryn declared a little confused as to where she was, but it all came back to her within a moment. That's when she realized she nearly knocked over Evergreen who was just glaring at the redhead. “Oh, I'm sorry about that.”

“It's alright, let's just go, the guys are ahead of us.” Adryn nodded her head and followed Evergreen out of the train and on the platform where the others were waiting.

“You look well-rested.” Bickslow teased with his babies repeating his last word, much to the annoyance of Adryn.

“Do they have to do that every time you speak?” Adryn questioned, not meaning for it to come out as harsh as it did. However, the man just smirked at Adryn, as if he was saying 'No, but now they do just to irritate you'. Which caused Adryn to just sigh and look towards the ground.

“Let's go find an inn before we start our job, I think we all could freshen up a bit.” Evergreen declared before anyone could do anything.

“Let's go,” Laxus stated before turning away from the group and beginning to walk away. They all followed after him, with Freed walking next to him, telling him about the various inns that the town had. Laxus ended up leading them to the closest one that looked decent and then entered it with Freed walking up to the counter.

“We would like two double rooms and one single,” Freed informed the woman at the counter. She checked out what they had and then nodded her head.

“Alright. We have those available.” The woman responded, prompting Freed to hand over the amount of jewels that the woman requested for the three rooms. Once the money was exchanged, Freed was handed the room keys. “Thank you for your business, I hope you enjoy your stay.” The woman spoke up with a smile on her face.

“Thank you.” “Freed said as he turned away from the woman. She'd told him which keys were which, so he handed the single room key to Laxus and one of the doubles to Evergreen. He then turned to address Adryn. “I think it is self-explanatory, but you and Evergreen will stay in one double room, Bickslow and I will stay in the other. While Laxus has his own room.” Adryn just nodded her head at the man. They then went on their way and headed to their rooms. Once in their rooms, they freshened up and met back in the inn entranceway.

“Let's head out.” Laxus states once he arrives there last. The five of them began their search for the members of Raven Tail, but most importantly, they were searching for Ivan. They decided to split up and head out in two groups. The Thunder Legion was one group and Laxus and Adryn were the other group.

“So, does this mean I have to talk to people?” Adryn questions once Laxus and her were on their own. The man just looked down at her with confusion on his face.

“You don't like talking to people?”

“No, I really am a shy person and I don't like speaking with people when I don't really have to.”

“You are a shy person?” Laxus' tone was one of disbelief. It caused Adryn to stop walking and look up at him.

“Yes, I happen to be quite shy, why do you think I don't go around the guild too much.”

“I never thought about why you didn't go around us, I never even knew you existed until today.” Laxus' words were harsh, but when he saw the look in Adryn's eyes, he felt a little bad about being so blunt. Adryn's eyes had a hint of sadness within them, but it was quickly gone.

“Well, I guess there are more reasons me to why I never went around you people so the whole being shy thing doesn't really count for much. Plus, I don't blame you for not knowing I existed, I did that on purpose. I hate being around people. I can't stand it. Mira is my only friend now, and she's all I need. Even though I don't see her much...” Laxus looked down at the girl who was nearly out of breath from speaking so much. One question came to his mind.

“Are those feelings caused by your time with Ivan?” Laxus' question brought pain to Adryn's face. All she could do was look down and nod her head. “I... I'm sorry, Adryn.” The girl looked up at him once again with confusion in her eyes.

“You don't need to be sorry. It wasn't your fault.”

“I hate all that Ivan has done to all these people and wish I could have done something sooner to end his reign of terror.”

“I also wish I could have done something, but we can do something now. We can stop him now for good.” With that, the two began to walk again but was quickly stopped by Bickslow appearing from an alley with his babies.

“Hey, we found a lead. Follow me.” Bickslow stated with his babies echoing his last two words. Laxus and Adryn instantly followed the man to where Freed and Evergreen were waiting at.

“What's the lead you have?” Adryn questioned immediately before anyone could say anything.

“We may have a location on where Ivan is staying,” Freed responded to the girl simply.

“Well, what are we waiting for, let's go!” Adryn was clearly ready to go right then and there.

“We need a plan before we just burst into his home. He technically has not done anything wrong yet since being released.”

“Oh... I guess you're right...” The five of them discussed their plan and then headed to the home of the previous Raven Tail master, Ivan. Once there, Laxus knocked at the door, and it was immediately opened by Ivan who had a huge smile on his face.

“I've been waiting for you all. Come on in.” Ivan then moved aside for them all to enter his home before closing it behind them. Once inside, he turned to them and looked right to Adryn, who was trying to keep her cool. “It's been a long time, Adryn.”

“Not long enough, Ivan.” There was hostility in her voice, and it was obvious that she was trying to keep her anger under control. It just caused Ivan to smile wider.

“Are you in contact with your previous members of Raven Tail?” Laxus demanded before either Ivan or Adryn could speak up again.

“You are so beautiful, you look just like your mother did,” Ivan spoke up, completely ignoring Laxus' words. Ivan's eyes were locked onto Adryn and it was starting to creep everyone else out. “Those eyes of yours have grown cold and harsh, is that because of me?” He seemed pleased at that thought.

“You bastard! You damn well know that everything is because of you!” Adryn snapped as her blue lightning began to crackle around her. Ivan just laughed at the girl's anger.

“You shouldn't be so quick to blame me, if you'd only listened to me and been a good girl, I wouldn't have had to do such terrible things to you.” With those words, Adryn made a move to lunge at him, but she was caught by Laxus. He moved just as fast as she did and was able to keep her held back at the moment.

“Answer the question. Are you in contact with your previous guild members?” Laxus' tone was more forceful and serious now.

“I am. What will you do about it?” Ivan finally responded to his son. His tone was cocky and arrogant.

“We will stop you before you can complete whatever your goal is now,” Adryn growled out much to Ivan's amusement.

“Oh? You will? You're just a little weak girl. What can you do to me, you are in the arms of my son now. You seem awfully comfortable there.” Whatever Ivan was insinuating infuriated Adryn and caused her to start struggling in Laxus' arms.

“Let go of me!” Adryn yelled out as she tried to get out of Laxus' arms.

“Stop struggling, we can't hurt him yet. We have no proof that he's done anything wrong.” Laxus doesn't sound happy about that fact, but he knows that they can't make a move until they know for sure that he's doing something wrong.

“Fine, I don't need to be near him to hurt him.” Before Laxus could question what she meant by that, Adryn's golden eyes began to glow red. Ivan instantly began to wince and cough. Through his coughing, he laughed.

“Oh? You're going... to show them that... that you've used... to kill so many people before?” Ivan was able to get that out as he coughed up blood and fell to the ground.

“What are you doing?! Stop that!” Evergreen called out at the redheaded girl. Laxus immediately knew that the power was coming from her eyes, so he turned around to get Adryn to be no longer facing Ivan.

“Enough!” Laxus yelled out at the girl in his arms. That seemed to do the trick and snap Adryn out of her rage. “What the hell was that?!” Laxus practically threw the girl on the ground, but she landed on her feet and spun around to face Laxus, well really face his chest as she couldn't face his face at her height.

“Some magic I like to call, pain magic,” Ivan spoke up as he stood up from the ground. He had blood on his mouth along with a smile. “For lack of a better term, it's pain magic that stems from her eyes. Anyone she looks at, she can kill with that ability. I wouldn't have been the first one she's done that to.”

“Let's get out of here.” Bickslow stated with his babies replying, “Get out of here!” after him. Seemingly agreeing with Bickslow's words, Laxus grabbed Adryn's arm and pulled her out of Ivan's home. Freed, Evergreen and Bickslow along with his babies followed suit, slamming the door behind them as they left. They didn't see the horrible smirk on Ivan's face as they left, promising nothing good in their future.


	2. Doing The Job

Laxus kept a hold of Adryn all the way back to their inn. He even dragged her up the stairs and to his room before throwing the door open and practically tossing the girl onto his bed out of anger. Bickslow, Evergreen and Freed all trailed behind them, concerned over what was about to happen.

“What the hell was that?” Laxus asked Adryn as she got up from his bed. She seemed a bit rattled from being so manhandled.

“I... I lost control of my anger, I'm sorry.” Adryn hesitantly responded as she looked down at the ground.

“You need to tell us your history with Ivan, right now, before we continue on with this job.” Evergreen snapped as she approached the other girl. Adryn just looked up at Evergreen and frowned.

“Do I have to?”

“Yes!” Both Evergreen and Laxus snapped back at the girl causing her to wince out of both pain and fear from their loud voices.

“Alright, damn, fine, I'll tell you guys. Sit down, this is going to be a long story.” Adryn made herself more comfortable on Laxus' bed. Laxus sat down on the other side of the bed, Evergreen took the chair in the room while Freed and Bickslow decided to just stand. Adryn didn't begin speaking right away, she just thought overall she was going to say before she said it to them.

“Well, we're waiting,” Evergreen spoke up when Adryn didn't speak for a few moments, she clearly had no patience.

“I guess I should start by saying that I, too, am a lightning dragon slayer due to a lacrima embedded within my body. Before you ask, I was turned into this by Ivan due to him realizing that Laxus wasn't going to follow him after he left the guild. Ivan was already taking care of me then due to my parents' mysterious disappearance.”

“Mysterious disappearance?” Freed questioned when Adryn didn't immediately give an explanation for that.

“They were out on a job and never returned home. They were presumed dead, but their bodies were never found. I'm pretty certain that Ivan had them killed or killed them himself to get a hold of me.” Adryn paused in her speaking to think about something else before finally saying it. It was like she didn't want to say it at all though. “My former best friend, Eclipse and her family were also murdered when Ivan realized that they were going to try to save me from him. Her little sister, Nova, my first lover, was kept alive as a hostage to ensure I did everything that Ivan wanted me to do.”

“You dated a girl?” Bickslow questioned with his babies repeating that same question.

“I did. She was my first love. However, it turned out that she'd been dead the entire time. I did horrible things to keep her alive, and when I found out that she was already dead, I lost it. I went through years of mental, physical and emotional abuse at the hands of Ivan and the other Raven Tail members just to keep someone alive, that was already dead. I won't get into details on the exact abuse, but just know that it wasn't pleasant.”

“What did you do when you realized she was already dead?” Evergreen now took her turn to question things.

“I flipped out on Ivan and nearly killed him, but decided that I shouldn't at the last second. So, I just left Raven Tail and returned to Fairy Tail. He let me go for some reason. I'm sure he always has planned to get me back, but I don't ever plan on going back to him.”

“I cannot believe that someone so horrible exists. I'm sorry that you had to go through that.” Freed stated after Adryn was done talking.

“It's disgusting that he did all those horrible things to you. I can't believe you lasted through all that.” Evergreen spoke up next.

“We should go right back to him and kick his ass!” Bickslow angrily said with his babies repeating, “Kick his ass!” a few times also angrily. Laxus shaking his head caught their attention next.

“I... I am disappointed that my own father could do such things to someone he was taking care of, but I guess I should have seen it coming since he was never a good guy.” Laxus stated before looking at Adryn. It was clear from his eyes that he felt terrible for Adryn, but he wasn't about to admit that out loud.

“Thank you all for being so supportive.” Adryn finally spoke up holding back tears. Evergreen instantly got up and hugged the poor girl. It was a little shocking for her to do such a thing, but no one decided to call her out on it at that moment.

“Well, now that we have some answers, we should head to bed. It is getting pretty late after all.” Freed spoke up once Evergreen as done hugging Adryn.

“Alright, so everyone get out of my room,” Laxus stated once no one started moving even though they all agreed with Freed's statement. Adryn couldn't help but chuckle as she hopped off Laxus' bed. She headed to the door with Evergreen but turned around to face Laxus.

“Before I forget, please don't manhandle me like that again, alright?” Adryn nearly demanded of Laxus, who just looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

“If you go off the deep end again, I'll have to do that, so keep calm and I won't.” Laxus simply responded to the girl, who just nodded her head and began the trek to her and Evergreen's room. Bickslow and Freed also headed back to their room, leaving Laxus all alone with his thoughts. He kept thinking about how it wasn't fair that a girl like that needed to go through hell. However, once he thought that, he felt weird inside. He wasn't sure why, but he felt bad for the girl and he doesn't usually feel bad for people unless he actually cared about them. So, Laxus went to sleep confused and a little pissed off with his father.

~

The next day, Laxus woke up first and woke up the others by banging on their doors and ordering them to get their asses up. Apparently, they'd slept in a bit too much and were now a bit late getting started with their day. Once they all ate breakfast at a nearby diner, they headed out to do their job, which in total, was to take down the members of Raven Tail, should they be trying to be an active guild once again. They'd already gotten confirmation from Ivan that he was in contact with his previous guild members, which was strictly forbidden. They could guess that the members were gathering to become a dark guild once more.

“Let's split up and hunt down these members,” Freed suggested once they left the diner. They each had a list of names and descriptions of the members of Raven Tail that were said to be in the town.

“Alright. Adryn, let's go.” Laxus stated to the redheaded girl. She nodded her head and followed Laxus as he walked away from the Thunder Legion.

“Do you know where we are going?” Adryn asked as she looked up at the tall man. He looked down at her and then back up to the path ahead of them. “Laxus, are you ignoring me or something?”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Laxus had a slight smile on his face, which made Adryn pout.

“Aren't you too old to be pouting?”

“Bitch I might be!” Adryn snapped at the man who just laughed in return. He found the girl hilarious, however, she was getting worked up.

“Don't tease me. I don't like it.” Laxus nodded his head and looked down at her.

“I suppose not many people do like being teased.” Laxus then patted the girl's head and began to speak once again. “I'm sorry.”

“Oh? You're sorry? For what?” Adryn looked back up at the man, to see he was still looking down at her, but this time he had an odd look in his eyes. “Stop it. I hate when people look at me with those eyes.” His eyes were showing that he felt sorry for her, not because of the teasing, but because of all she'd said last night.

“I can understand that.” Laxus had a few people in his lifetime feel sorry for him over his father's actions. He didn't like it one bit, so he could understand why the girl didn't like it either.

“You know, you aren't such a bad guy after all,” Adryn muttered, but Laxus heard it loud and clear.

“You thought I was a bad guy?” Laxus paused in his walking to face the girl. He almost seemed a bit offended by that.

“Well, not exactly. I heard all about what you did all those years ago, so I had a bad impression of you. However, after meeting you and getting to know you a little bit, other than the manhandling, you're a good guy.” Adryn smiled up at Laxus and it caused a little flutter in his chest, which he promptly killed and ignored. It caused Laxus to frown, which made Adryn then frown. “What's wrong?”

“Let's just do our job.” Laxus then began to walk away from the redheaded girl. Adryn was extremely confused but followed after him anyway. She didn't like the pain she felt in her chest when he frowned at her.

The two groups then began their quest to take down the members of Raven Tail. Some members were difficult to find, and some were easy. Some fought them and then some just gave themselves up. Either way, all the men and women were caught before the day was up and were loaded onto transportation to head to jail. The last one they had to take down was Ivan and they all met back up to do so.

“Everything went well so far,” Freed commented as they hurried to where Ivan's home was. However, when they got there, the door was open.

“I'll go in first.” Laxus declared as they approached the open door. He pushed the door open and peered inside. “It's empty.”

“What?!” Adryn pushed past Laxus and entered the home to see it was, indeed, empty. “Dammit!”

“Come on, nothing we can do now.” Laxus pulled the girl out of the house and slammed the door. It showed that he, as well, was upset over losing track of Ivan.

As they walked back to their inn, Adryn trudged behind them. She didn't know what to do now. Her objective was always to take down Ivan, and she had the chance to yesterday but was stopped. She felt a little lost now.

“Let's go drinking tonight.” Laxus suddenly said as they walked past a bar. He stopped and looked towards the others.

“I think we could all use a drink after today.” Freed agreed

with his leader. They then looked towards the girl who was still just looking at the ground. Adryn then realized she was being looked at and looked up at them.

“I guess I could drink,” Adryn stated as she looked at the group.

“Good. Let's go.” Laxus then entered the bar with the others following him. Instantly, the men of the bar looked between Evergreen and the cloak wearing Adryn. “Adryn, get us a table.” The girl nodded her head and went to get a table for them. It was one in the corner away from the other people. She didn't want to be around other people because of the way they were all staring at her. Once she was at the table, she unhooked her cloak to reveal shorts and a tank top. The shorts were black and the tank top was dark blue. Her cloak itself was black with blue lightning pattern around the edges.

Immediately, the men of the bar were looking at her. She could feel their eyes and instantly became uncomfortable. She felt like putting her cloak back on but was stopped by the others returning. Laxus then sat a mug of beer down on the table in front of her before sitting to her left while Evergreen sat to her right. Freed sat next to Laxus and Bickslow sat next to Evergreen.

“I never noticed you wore such revealing clothing before, Adryn.” Evergreen commented as she sipped at her beer. Adryn looked over at her and shrugged. She didn't really see anything wrong with it, as people wore worse things than she did.

“You look hot!” Bickslow stated with a smile on his face as his babies echo, “Hot! Hot! Hot!” Adryn just ignored the man and took a sip of her own beer.

“Apparently, other men also are thinking the same thing, as there are a lot of eyes on us currently.” Freed pointed out as he set down his beer from having just taken a drink of it. Adryn peaked around Freed and Bickslow to see men just staring at Evergreen and Adryn. Adryn then watched as a man got up from his chair and made his way to them, stumbling all the way. He was clearly drunk and it gave Adryn a bad feeling. She was so thankful that Evergreen and herself were cut off from the man by Freed and Bickslow. He couldn't get to the girls without getting through the two men.

“Hello there, gorgeous.” The man was drunk but his words weren't slurred. He was looking right at Adryn as he spoke, which made her want to crawl under the table and hide.

“What do you want?” Laxus demanded, surprising them all at the table. His tone was harsh and caused the drunk stranger to jolt. He then glared at Laxus.

“I was talking to the beautiful redhead. Not you.”

“And I was asking you what the hell you wanted.” Laxus set his drink down and looked up at the man with a death glare.

“I, uh, just wanted to tell her she was beautiful. That... that's all.” The man then scampered away.

“Wow Laxus, you sure scared him off. What was that all about?” Evergreen questioned as she watched the scared man return to his group of friends.

“I'm trying to relax.” Laxus simply explained though none of them thought he was telling the truth.

“I'm sorry. I should put my cloak back on...” Adryn was about to grab her cloak when Laxus grabbed her hand to stop her, which caused her to look up at him with confusion.

“You don't need to do anything. It wasn't your fault. It was his.”

“Oh, okay.” Adryn nodded her head and looked at her and Laxus' hands. Laxus followed her eyes and then instantly let go of her hand. He then resumed drinking as nothing had happened. So, that's exactly what Adryn decided to do.

The five of them drank and chatted about various things for another hour or so before the night began to creep upon them. So, they all headed home, with Evergreen and Adryn leaning against each other. They both drank a bit much and were now drunk and wobbly.

“Are you two alright?” Freed questioned as he turned around to make sure both of the girls were still behind them. Laxus and Bickslow also stopped and turned around to check on the girls. To Freed's question, both girls muttered incoherent responses.

“I don't think they are alright, Freed,” Bickslow stated as he watched the girls sway in place before Adryn fully lost her balance and nearly tumbled to the ground. She would have hit the ground had Laxus not moved like lightning to catch her.

“Remind me to never take her out drinking again,” Laxus muttered as he picked the redhead up fully and began to carry her back to the inn. He didn't see the shocked faces of his Thunder Legion as he walked away. Even Evergreen sobered up enough to realize that it wasn't usual Laxus behavior. Before Laxus could get out of sight, they all hurried up and made their way to their leader. Bickslow had to help Evergreen walk though, as she was still quite drunk.

Once at the inn, Laxus carried Adryn to her room with Bickslow following behind with Evergreen leaning on him. Laxus took the key from Evergreen and unlocked the door.

“Which bed is yours?” Laxus questioned Adryn as he looked at the beds. She pointed to the one closest to the door, so Laxus took her to it and dropped her on the bed. “Rest up. We're heading back to Fairy Tail in the morning.” With that, Laxus left the room, leaving Evergreen to Bickslow.

“Is it just me, or was Laxus acting weird?” Bickslow questioned Evergreen as he led her to her own bed. He helped her get in and covered up.

“He seemed to care for Adryn. Maybe he was just being kind?” Evergreen questioned even though she didn't believe that was the real reason. So, being drunk, she decided to blurt out her true thoughts. “Maybe he likes her and wanted to take care of her?”

“You think so?” Bickslow responded with a laugh as his babies repeating that word over and over again. With that conversation being over, Bickslow wished the girls a good rest and left the room to meet back up with Freed at their room. With that, everyone was in their rooms and sleeping. They just hoped that no one would have bad hangovers the next day.

~

Adryn woke up before anyone woke her up this time. She instantly felt horrible and wanted to just go back to sleep. However, she knew that she shouldn't as she could tell that it was already time to be waking up. Sure enough, moments after she sat up in bed, there was a knock at her door.

“Girls, it's time to wake up. We're leaving in one hour.” It was Freed at the door speaking gently to the probably hungover girls. Adryn quickly got out of bed and opened the door. She was still wearing the same clothes as last night and even still had her cloak on.

“Thanks for waking us up, Freed. I'm glad it was you and not Laxus. I don't think I could handle the loud pounding on the door this time.” Freed just smiled at the girl's comment and nodded his head.

“Laxus was actually the one to asked me to come to wake you girls up.”

“I knew it...” It was Evergreen speaking from her bed. Her voice was low but clear and full of pain. “Laxus most likely does like you, Adryn.”

“Wh-What? No, he definitely doesn't.” Adryn responded instantly in a flustered tone. Both Freed and Evergreen both shook their heads at the girl in disbelief. She was clearly in denial, just as Laxus most likely was as well. “Let's just get ready and head out, alright? No more of this talking about who likes who.”

“Very well. Meet us at the entrance when you are ready.” Freed said to the girls before closing the door as he walked away. So, both the girls freshened up and got changed slowly due to their massive headaches. It took them some time, but eventually, they got done and headed to the entrance of the inn to turn in their key.

“You two took forever.” Bickslow stated with his babies echoing “forever”.

“Stop them from doing that this instant. I can't handle your 'babies' on a good day, so I don't want to deal with them on a bad day.” Adryn instantly snapped at the man who just laughed in return but did indeed keep his babies from laughing as well.

“Give me your key and I will turn it in,” Freed spoke to Evergreen who did as he asked. Freed then went to the front desk to turn in all three keys they'd been given.

“You feel better?” Adryn turned to Laxus, who'd just spoken to her. “You were a mess last night.”

“Gee, thanks for telling me that,” Adryn responded with a frown on her face. Laxus chuckled and patted the girl's head.

“You should thank me, I carried your ass back here because you couldn't walk.”

“You did what?!” Adryn's face immediately went bright red and she took a step backward.

“I carried you like the little princess you are.”

“Oh my god. I am never drinking again.” Adryn shook her head as if to shake that thought from her mind. Laxus just chuckled at the girl again, which irritated her. She began to pout as she glared up at him. He just gave her a cocky smile in return.

“Everything has been settled, we can depart now,” Freed spoke up, breaking Laxus and Adryn from their world they'd gone in to. They didn't see Bickslow or Evergreen watching them with shocked faces. Laxus wasn't in the habit of messing with people who he didn't care about, showing that on some level he cared about Adryn.

“Alright, let's head to the train,” Laxus stated as he turned away from his group. He began the short walk over to the train station where the train had just arrived. They got their tickets and headed into the train. This time, Evergreen made Adryn sit across from Laxus while she sat alone in a seat. When Adryn looked at her with confusion, Evergreen spoke to her.

“I want to get some rest and lay down in this seat. So you sit with the boys.” Evergreen simply stated to the redhead. Adryn nodded her head in return.

“I sure hope I don't get sick...” Adryn muttered to herself, just loud enough for the boys around her to hear.

“You better not.” All three of the men responded with Bickslow's babies repeating the sentence a few times as well. Adryn just warily smiled at them.

“I'll do my best.” Then the train took off and Adryn's face went completely pale and then green. “I'm just going to go to sleep.” Adryn then leaned her head back and closed her eyes as she fought off the sickness that was rising in her. Laxus followed suit and did the same, as he too was feeling sick but only from the motion sickness and not also due to hangover. They all hoped they could get through the train ride without someone throwing up on someone else.


	3. Getting To Know Each Other

Eventually, they all got safely to Magnolia without anyone throwing up on anyone else. Adryn instantly rushed off the train as soon as it came to a stop. She wanted off that thing from the moment she got on it. 

“You good?” Evergreen questioned the girl as she got off the train as well. She could see the color return to Adryn's face slowly showing that the girl wasn't going to be sick anytime soon.

“I am now.” Adryn simply responded with a small smile. 

“Come on, let's get back to the guild to tell Master what happened,” Freed stated as he climbed off of the train with Bickslow and Laxus behind him. Laxus led the way to the guildhall while Adryn trailed behind. She was walking slower than the others for a few reasons, the main one being that she didn't want to go back to the guildhall. She didn't like being there at all. 

“Adryn, why are you walking so slow?” Evergreen questioned when she realized the other girl wasn't next to her anymore. Adryn looked up from the ground and frowned. 

“I don't like being at the guildhall.” Adryn simply responded, but then continued before anyone could get the wrong idea. “I mean, I enjoy being around Mira and her siblings, but I don't like the loudness and the chaos that is usually going on. I don't want to get brought into any fights or something.”

“I see... Is there something else going on?” Adryn was surprised that Evergreen could tell that Adryn was holding something back. Adryn looked back down at the ground and frowned more. 

“I don't particularly trust many people anymore, so it's hard being around that many people all at once.” Evergreen nodded her head in response, but then walked over and grabbed Adryn's wrist. “What are you doing?”

“Making sure you don't run off before we get there. Come on, let's go.” Evergreen then began to walk, forcing Adryn to walk as well. The two girls walked right past all the men and carried on like that until the guildhall was reached. Even then, Evergreen walked into the place and then released Adryn from her grasp. Due to Evergreen bursting through the door with Adryn, most people turned to look at them. That only served to make Adryn want to run away even more, but instead, she faced her fears and headed to the bar where Mirajane was. 

“Hello Adryn, how was the job?” Mirajane questioned as she looked at her freaked-out friend. She could feel the eyes on her still. 

“It wasn't so bad, but I still prefer to do things alone. We didn't get it all accomplished though. I'll explain more later. We need to talk to Master first.” Adryn responded as she turned around to see the rest of the group appearing and heading towards her. 

“Alright, I'll go get him.” Mirajane then walked off in search of their master. A few moments later, they both appeared and split up. Master Makarov walked over to the Thunder Legion, Laxus and Adryn as Mirajane headed back to the bar. 

“I hear you kids have something you need to talk to me about?” Master Makarov questioned as he looked up at the group. 

“Yes, Master. Your son is still out there somewhere. By the time we went to apprehend him, he was already gone.” Freed spoke up as he was apparently designated as the speaker for the group.

“Also, I may have tried to kill him when I lost my temper.” Adryn brought up before Freed could get into too many details. Master Makarov looked over at the girl and sighed. “But Laxus stopped me before I could actually do any harm.” 

“I understand that going on that job must have been difficult for you. You seeing him after all these years must have been upsetting.” Master Makarov stated as he looked at the redhead. Adryn nodded her head in agreement. “I'm glad that you went with Laxus and the Thunder Legion. I'm afraid of what could have happened if you'd gone alone.” Adryn frowned and looked towards the ground as she muttered an apology for attempting to kill his son. However, Laxus just patted the girl on the head and began to speak.

“She had every right to try to kill him after all he's done to her. I don't blame her and you shouldn't either.” Laxus' words caused Adryn to look up at him with a blush on her face. 

“Thank you, Laxus.” All Master Makarov could do was nod his head. He was, however, a bit surprised that Laxus defended Adryn like that. He then watched as the two bickered a little bit. Adryn didn't like being patted due to it embarrassing her, though she wouldn't admit that and Laxus continued to pat her head just to mess with her. 

“Master, we think that they like each other,” Evergreen whispered as she bent down to his level. 

“Oh?” He responded to the girl as he looked at her. 

“Laxus carried Adryn when she got drunk and was mostly gentle with her. He also defended her at the bar we went to last night. Plus, you just saw how she reacted to him patting her head. She blushed, and she doesn't seem like one to blush over any little thing.” Master Makarov just nodded his head and a huge smile on his face appeared. 

“Alright! You five will continue working together until Ivan has been caught!” Master Makarov stated loudly, getting the attention of Laxus and Adryn who were in their own little world together. They looked over at the master and nodded their heads before speaking in unison. 

“We already planned to do that.” Both Laxus and Adryn looked at each other and the girl chuckled while Laxus just smiled at her. They apparently were on the same wavelength. 

“See Master, something is going on between them, but I think they are both in denial.” Evergreen stated just softly enough that only who she was talking to could hear it. Master Makarov just nodded his head in agreement. 

“Well, if there's nothing left to talk about, I'm going to drink.” Master Makarov declared before heading to the bar. 

“That's a good idea,” Laxus said but was stopped by Freed's voice. 

“Actually,” Freed began, causing Laxus and the rest of the group to turn to him. “I was thinking that we could go and train together, to work on teamwork and get to know each other's abilities better. Due to Adryn being a new addition to our group, we should do this together, since we'll be working together for a while.” They all thought about it for a moment before nodding their heads. 

“Alright, lead the way, Freed.” Freed followed Laxus' orders and began to walk out of the building. He then them away from the guildhall and to a remote part of town where most people don't go. It was a frequent place for the guild members to go and train together.

“Now, let's start with me verses you, Adryn,” Freed spoke up as they got to the outskirts of the field. The girl nodded her head and followed Freed out into the field. They stood apart a few feet and got ready to battle. Evergreen signaled them to begin their fight, and instantly, Adryn's eyes began to glow. Her beautiful golden eyes were vibrant red, and instantly Freed began to wince in pain, followed by that was the coughing. 

“Somebody like you could take a few minutes of this, but do yourself a favor and don't fight it. It'll hurt more if you do.” Adryn stated as Freed collapsed to his knees. Adryn cut off her magic and the glowing stopped, along with Freed's coughing and pain. “I think I won?” 

“Yes, I agree, you won,” Freed spoke up with a hoarse voice. 

“Are you alright? I didn't do it for too long, right?” Adryn walked over to Freed and checked him over a little bit to make sure he wasn't dying or anything. 

“I appreciate your concern, however, I am alright.” Freed allowed Adryn to help him stand back up before he turned to the others. Bickslow and Evergreen were staring in shock as Laxus smirked. 

“That magic really is something to take Freed down so simply,” Laxus stated as he looked right at Adryn. 

“Why didn't you use your lightning dragon slayer magic on Freed? Why only the pain magic?” Evergreen finally questioned as her shock wore off. 

“Why would I want to use magic that was forced upon me? The lacrima was placed inside me against my will, so I only use it if I absolutely have to. To not use that magic is more of a 'fuck you' to Ivan than anything.” Adryn responded. 

“Well, you absolutely have to now. Let's fight.” Laxus stepped up and walked towards the girl who just looked at him confused. 

“I can't use my pain magic?” 

“No, only lightning.” 

“Oh... alright then, but what if I hurt you?” To that, Laxus laughed. 

“You? Hurt me?” That seemed to piss Adryn off instantly. 

“Very well, I'll make sure it hurts then.” It was like a switch was flipped and the girl was suddenly raring to go. They walked away from each other in the field and got into position quite a few feet apart. Both of them seemed to have the same idea, so as soon as Evergreen signaled for them to begin, they both went into action immediately. Both of them used their Lightning Dragon Slayer Roar on each other, causing blue and regular lightning to clash, instantly causing a huge explosion. When the dust cleared, there was a huge hole in the ground and Laxus, along with Adryn had been flung backward and were now laying on the ground. That showed they were equal in strength. 

“Did that really just happen?” Bickslow questioned with his babies echoing him. 

“More importantly, are they alright?” Freed questioned as he hurried off to Laxus. “Laxus, are you okay?!” 

“Adryn, you good?” Bickslow and Evergreen made their way to the girl who was just laying on the ground. As they got closer, they could see she was just staring up at the clouds. 

“That hurt.” Was all Adryn said as the two reached her. They helped her up and turned to see Laxus already standing and brushing himself off. Adryn followed suit and brushed herself off as well. 

“I have to admit, that was unexpected,” Laxus stated as he approached the girl. Adryn just chuckled and nodded her head. None of them could have imagined that Laxus and Adryn would be equally powerful. 

“Let's tell everyone  
back at the guild!” Bickslow called out excitedly. 

“No one will believe us,” Evergreen responded simply. 

“They will trust our word,” Freed spoke up, causing Evergreen and Bickslow to nod their heads. They'd gained the trust of everyone in Fairy Tail, so of course, they would believe them. “Let's head back. I think after that, we could use some drinks and food.”

“Hell yeah!” Bickslow yelled with his babies repeating his words a few times. As they all walked back to the guildhall, Laxus couldn't help but stare at Adryn. He was surprised that such a small girl could be so powerful. It just caused him to be even more intrigued with her. 

As soon as they got back tot he guild, everyone split up. Adryn went to talk to Mirajane, Evergreen went to talk to Elfman, Bickslow went to talk to Natsu and his group while Laxus and Freed went to the bar to get food and drinks for their group. Soon, it was spread all around that not only did Adryn kick Freed's ass, but she was as strong as Laxus when it came to their lightning dragon slayer magic. Suddenly, everyone wanted to talk to Adryn, which she wanted no part of. 

“Mira, I think I'm going to head home. I don't like all this attention.” Adryn stated as she looked around at all the people who were not watching her. 

“Come on Adryn, please stay. You're part of the family, aren't you? They are just interested in you. They don't mean any harm.” Mirajane responded to her friend, but Adryn had already made up her mind. 

“Sorry, but I can't do this right now.” Adryn then used her lightning dragon slayer magic to turn into lightning and soar right out of the guildhall. 

“Where'd she go?” Laxus questioned as he had watched it all happen.

“She left to go home.” Mirajane frowned as she turned to look at Laxus. 

“You know, I bet if he went to go get her, Adryn would return with Laxus,” Evergreen spoke up as she approached the two friends. 

“Why would she listen to me?” Laxus asked as he was genuinely confused. 

“Just go.” Both Mirajane and Evergreen practically yelled at the man, who jolted in surprise. 

“Maybe we should let her before tonight, she had to deal with quite a lot in the last few days,” Freed stated as he joined in on the conversation. “Besides, she didn't look like she wanted to be around other people, so Laxus should go get her tomorrow if she doesn't come to the guild herself.” The two girls nodded their heads and then went their separate ways. So, with that in agreement, they all went to eating, drinking and having fun. However, it bothered Laxus that Adryn was in the back of his mind the whole night. He still refused to think about why that would be though. 

~

Morning came, and Adryn woke up to the lovely sounds of birds chirping. She took a bath, got dressed. She wore the same thing as always. Which was a pair of black shorts and a tank top. Today's tank top was blood red though. After she was dressed, she ate breakfast and sat down in her comfy chair before grabbing the book she'd been reading for the past week. However, she never got to open the book, as a knock reached her ears. Someone was at her front door knocking on it. She instantly was on edge as she approached, before looking through the little hole in her door to see Laxus standing there. So, knowing he wasn't a threat, Adryn opened the door. 

“How did you find me?” Adryn questioned before Laxus could say anything at all. He just smirked at her. 

“How about you let me in first, then I'll tell you,” Laxus responded as he looked down at Adryn. The girl moved out of the way as if saying he could enter. Laxus then saw that within the girl's home was a few chairs and a couch set around a fireplace. So, he went to sit on the couch motioning to the girl to sit next to him. Adryn closed her door and sat in a chair across from the man, rather than sitting next to him on the couch. 

“How did you find me?” Adryn repeated a little more serious than before. Adryn was serious about this because she was in the middle of the forest.

“Mira told me where you lived. You know, it was hard to find this place even with her directions.” Adryn couldn't help but chuckle at that. 

“I know, that was the point of living here. I don't like visitors.” 

“Oh? Should I leave then?” Laxus made a move to get up, but Adryn stopped him.

“I guess a visitor every now and then is alright.” Adryn then thought of something. “Why did Mira send you out here?” 

“She wants you to be part of the guild more. So she sent me here to get you. For some reason, Ever thinks that you'll listen to me.” Adryn couldn't help but blush slightly at that statement. 

“I see. Well, you can stay for a bit, but I won't go back with you to the guild.” 

“Why not?”

“I don't like being around people much. It's hard to trust them, after all, I've been through. Besides, I just don't want to be there.” 

“You shouldn't say that. We're all a family, aren't we? You should be there more often.” 

“Funny, coming from the guy who pitted everyone against each other.” Adryn then put a hand over her mouth with a gasp. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it like that.” 

“No matter how you meant to say it, your point got across.” Laxus didn't seem to be too upset though. 

“Can I ask you something? Why did you do that to the guild if you thought of them as your family?” 

“I just wanted to make the guild stronger.” Was Laxus' simple answer to which Adryn nodded her head. “Speaking of that time, where were you during that?”

“That was part of the five years I was with Ivan and Raven Tail.”

“Well, I guess it's a good thing you weren't there, you probably would have stopped me faster than Natsu did.” Adryn couldn't help but chuckle at that. 

“I'm sure you would have won in the end against me if we fought normally. I don't usually use my dragon slayer magic, so it's difficult for me to use it for too long. I probably would have panicked and used my pain magic on you.” 

“What is your pain magic anyway?” 

“From what Ivan said, it's something like constricting the heart and other organs. 'Pain magic' is the best term we could come up with. I inherited it from my father, but I don't remember him much so I don't know what he called his magic.”

“I see. Well, I don't think I want to know how that feels. It doesn't sound pleasant.” Adryn couldn't help but laugh at that. 

“What? Is the great Laxus Dreyar scared of a little pain?” Adryn was mocking him and Laxus didn't like it. He frowned and partially glared at the girl.

“Fine then, use it on me.” 

“I don't feel like it right now.” Adryn shrugged as she smiled at the man. Laxus suddenly stood up, making the girl worry he was about to leave. “Where are you going?”

“We are going back to the guild.” Laxus saw the look on Adryn's face change instantly. She frowned and looked towards the ground with worry in her eyes. “Are you afraid?” 

“...I am...” Laxus just chuckled and held out his hand to Adryn. She looked up with confusion. 

“I'll protect you.” Adryn's heart nearly stopped when he said that to her. Laxus was also as surprised at what just came out of his mouth as well. He wasn't expecting that. He was even more surprised when Adryn put her hand in his. 

“Alright, but you better keep me safe.” She had a huge smile on her face as she spoke, causing a smile to appear on Laxus' face as well. 

“Let's get going then.” To Laxus' statement, Adryn nodded her head. 

“Just let me get my cloak.” She then headed into her bedroom and grabbed the cloak off where it was hanging. “Alright, let's go!” Adryn happily said once she had put the cloak on. The two then set off through the forest to head back to town. They walked in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. Neither one of them had anything to say, so they just didn't say anything. 

However, the silence gave Adryn some quiet time to think. She mainly thought about Laxus and her feelings towards him. She wasn't a stupid girl, so she could tell that she was developing feelings for the man. The growing feelings made her want to run away from him and the guild, but she knew if she did that, Laxus would probably just come after her and it would just create a bothersome situation. So, she decided to talk to Mirajane about the feelings as soon as they got back to the guildhall. 

Soon enough, they reached the guildhall and split up. Laxus went for the Thunder Legion while Adryn went right for Mirajane. 

“Mira, can we talk?” Adryn's question brought worry to Mirajane's face. 

“Of course, what's wrong?” Mirajane led Adryn away from the bar and to a corner of the room where no one was. 

“Well, it's just that... I think... No, I know that I have feelings for Laxus.” Adryn got out after a moment of thought.

“Oh my gosh, Adryn. I thought that something bad had happened!” Mirajane gasped with a chuckle. 

“Huh, but it is bad! I am terrified and confused. The only person I've ever had feelings for is a girl who was killed by Ivan. So, I don't know what to do with these feelings for a guy. Especially not when it's the son of the man who put me through hell!” Adryn was clearly on the verge of panicking, so Mirajane put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. 

“Adryn, it's alright. It's okay to have feelings for Laxus. I think you should move forward with those feelings and ask him out.” 

“What? Fuck no. He probably doesn't even like me.”

“He does though.” Adryn however already was standing up as she shook her head. 

“I'll just keep quiet about my feelings. I can't allow myself to fall for anyone yet. I have a mission to complete.” With that, Adryn walked to the bar to get a drink but was stopped by Natsu jumping out in front of her. 

“Fight me, Adryn!” Natsu yelled out, gathering the attention of most of the guild. Since they'd all heard about Adryn being on par with Laxus, all Natsu could talk about was wanting to fight her. 

“Alright.” Adryn shrugged simply. 

“Really, Adryn? I thought you didn't like people.” Evergreen commented from her table with the Thunder Legion and Laxus. 

“I hate people, but I do enjoy fighting.” That statement made a few random people chuckle. 

“Alright! Let's fight!” Natsu then powered up with flames and came charging at her. Adryn stood still, but her eyes began to glow. 

“Natsu has lost already.” Bickslow laughed with his babies repeating, “Lost! Lost! Lost!” 

“What do you mean?” Lucy asks instantly worried for Natsu. However, she was answered by Natsu beginning to cough. 

“Don't fight it. It makes it worse.” Adryn spoke up as Natsu was clearly trying to fight it. Natsu began to yell out, but he quickly fell to the ground, unconscious. “Oh damn, I did it too much.” Adryn quickly approached Natsu and bent down to him. “Are you still alive?” She shook him and when he groaned, she sighed a sigh of relief. 

“Natsu!” Happy cried out as he flew over to his best friend. Adryn stood up and shrugged her shoulders before walking to the bar for a drink. Everyone, minus the Thunder Legion and Laxus were shocked that Natsu went down so easily. 

To Laxus' surprise, he felt a sense of pride at watching Adryn take down Natsu. It was like he was happy that she was able to do that. It instantly confused him. However, after a moment, he was hit with the realization that it meant that he liked her. Even so, he wrote it off as a sexual like rather than a romantic one. He figured that he must just want to get in her pants due to her being one of the only girls who were strong enough to fight him. He did like strong women after all. 

“Laxus, what are you smiling about?” Freed's voice brought Laxus out of his mind and back to reality. 

“Nothing.” He instantly wiped the look off his face as he watched Adryn, but the damage was already done. His group was completely aware of his feelings for the redheaded girl now. Though, none of them decided to bring it up to him for fear that he would completely reject his feelings for the girl. So, they all just watched Adryn fight more and more people with her pain magic with her apologizing to each and every one of them afterward.


	4. Back From The Dead

Most people were alright with Adryn's use of her pain magic, even though they wanted to see her lightning dragon slayer magic as well. However, one person was worried about the situation, which was their master, Master Makarov.

“Adryn,” The girl turned to who spoke her name, which turned out to be Master Makarov.

“Yes, master?” Adryn responded hesitantly. She wasn't sure what he wanted so she was unsure of the situation.

“Explain something to me. Why do you not use your Lightning Dragon Slayer magic?”

“I just don't like using magic that was forced upon me. Plus, after finally seeing what it could do, I think it's too strong and I don't want to hurt or destroy anything. I especially don't want to kill someone by accident with magic I'm unfamiliar with.”

“Oh really? Why wouldn't you have a problem with that, considering all the people you killed and hurt under Master Ivan's care.” Adryn spun around towards the entrance of the guildhall. There stood someone that made Adryn's heart stop. It was a girl about Adryn's age with long pastel pink hair. She wore a black dress with a purple and silver corset. The dress's flowy part was knee-high in the front and reached the ground in the back. Most importantly though, she had a purple Raven Tail guild mark on her right cheek.

“E-Eclipse?!” Adryn gasped out, horrified and shocked at what she was seeing.

“Eclipse? You mean your childhood best friend, Eclipse?!” Mirajane also spoke with a gasp. She'd been the topic of many conversations. Eclipse was not only Adryn's first best friend but also the older sister of Adryn's former lover, Nova. Eclipse and her family had been supposedly murdered by Ivan when Adryn fought against him in the beginning.

“It's been a while, Adryn. Did you miss me?” Eclipse began to approach the shocked girl. “I've been watching over you all these years. I saw all the horrible things you did at the request of Master Ivan. You murdered so many people. Women, children, even elderly people. So terrible. I've been so ashamed of you, but I'm here now. I'll make everything right again.” Eclipse held out her hand to Adryn. “You belong by Master Ivan's side after all the evil things you've done. Leave Fairy Tail and join us again, Adryn.”

Adryn was now panicking and it showed on her face. She'd left out all the horrible things she did while with Ivan, but she only did those things because she had to and was told that Nova would be killed if she didn't. She didn't know that Nova was already dead and that all she did was pointless.

So, scared, panicked and upset, Adryn smacked Eclipse's hand away and used her lightning dragon slayer magic to turn into a bolt of lightning and fly out of the room. Everyone was in shock, but Eclipse. She just laughed at the situation.

“This is getting to be quite fun.” Eclipse then just casually walked out of the guildhall, as everyone finally moved into motion and went to catch her. Laxus was the first one to her, but as he went to grab her, she disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.

“What just happened?” Mirajane questioned in shock at the whole situation. “Laxus, you need to go get Adryn. She shouldn't be alone right now.”

“Yeah.” Laxus simply responded as he began to leave the guildhall. Freed, Evergreen and Bickslow all got up instantly and followed after him.

“We're coming too!” Evergreen stated as she caught up to Laxus.

“Do what you want,” Laxus responded as he began to hurry through the town to get to Adryn's home in the forest. After a few minutes, they made it there, but there was no Adryn there. However, the could hear faint crying off in the distance. They followed the sound to a lake with Adryn sitting on a rock there with her head in her hands. She was clearly crying to herself. “Stay back,” Laxus ordered to his friends. He quietly approached the girl and spoke as soft as he could to her. “Adryn?”

“Laxus?!” Adryn shot up from the rock and looked to the man, horrified. “You shouldn't be here.”

“Adryn, we don't believe anything that girl said about you. We know you and we know you couldn't do something like that.” Laxus watched as the girl just shook her head.

“It's all true. I did all those horrible things that Eclipse said.”

“What?” Evergreen questioned from where she was standing just a few feet away.

“I did what I had to do to keep myself and Nova alive. Though, it all came to nothing as Ivan had already killed her without telling me. I did so many horrible things that I can never take back, but I didn't want to do them. If I didn't, Ivan told me he'd kill me and Nova. I... I never wanted to hurt anybody!” Adryn broke down and fell to her knees, sobbing once again. “That girl, Eclipse. I was told she was dead and gone. She was taken from me when I first acted out against Ivan. I don't know what happened to her all these years if she's been alive. She wasn't the same as she was. That Eclipse that just appeared was someone completely different than who she actually was when we were younger.”

“It's alright, Adryn. I understand that you had to do those things to live and I can see how you regret that. We all have something we regret doing, but it's okay.” Laxus spoke up as he walked towards the girl on the ground. “If you come back to the guild and explain it to everyone, I know they'd be on your side like we are.”

“Yeah!” Bickslow and Evergreen called out in agreement, with Bickslow's babies echoing the word as well.

“Indeed. Everyone would understand and not fault you for what you've done.” Freed spoke up instantly after his friends.

“Come back with us, Adryn.” Laxus held out his hand to the girl, and hesitantly, Adryn reached up and put her hand in his. The man pulled her to her feet and patted her head. “Remember what I told you, I'll protect you.” To that, Adryn hugged the man, surprising everyone else, especially Laxus.

“Thank you, Laxus. I truly appreciate that.” Adryn still had a few stray tears when she pulled away from the man, and to his friend's surprise, Laxus reached and wiped them away for the girl.

“Let's go.” To Laxus' words, Adryn nodded her head. With that, they were off. They hurried back to the guildhall in silence. Adryn was quiet due to her being scared, but every time she thought about how terrified she was, she'd think of Laxus' words. She trusted that he'd protect her, no matter what.

Once they got back to the guild, everyone turned to look at them. A few people stated how they were worried about her and some people demanded answers immediately.

“Adryn, explain what that girl said. Is all she said true?” Master Makarov demanded as soon as they were fully inside the guildhall. So, Adryn told them all the whole story that she'd told Laxus and the Thunder Legion. She explained the situation and all she had to do to protect Nova and then explained how Eclipse was not acting like herself at all.

“I'm especially confused about the Raven Tail guild mark on Eclipse's cheek. Eclipse was never apart of Raven Tail. She never was in any guild.” Adryn spoke as she finished the story that she told everyone. Mostly everyone seemed to accept her story, however, a few people still were against her and demanded that she be removed from the guild for her past actions. “Listen, everyone, I swear to you, I will take Ivan down for all the things he's done and that he's caused. If you still want me gone then, I'll leave.” For the most part, that seemed to calm everyone down. “I should probably leave now to go hunt Ivan down.”

“We're coming with you.” Evergreen declared, surprising not only her friends but the others of the guild as well.

“Yes, I agree. It was also our job to take the remaining Raven Tail members down, so we should see the job through to the end.” Freed agreed with Evergreen after he thought for a moment.

“What do you say, Laxus?” Bickslow questioned as he looked over to the blond man.

“Alright, let's go,” Laxus spoke up almost immediately. Laxus wouldn't admit it, but he wanted to keep being around Adryn, plus he was worried that something bad would happen to her if he wasn't there with her.

“Thank you, all of you.” Adryn smiled at her friends. With that, Adryn, Laxus, and the Thunder Legion bid farewell to the guild and headed out to get ready for the long trip ahead of them. They each headed to the location of where they stayed to get a small bag packed. They honestly just needed clothes for the trip, so that's what they packed. They all met back up at the train station later that day.

“Is everyone ready?” Freed questioned as they all stood there on the station platform as they waited for the train to arrive. Everyone nodded their heads in response and watched as the train finally arrived. They'd been practically right on time for the train, if they were any later, they probably would have missed the train. So, they quickly got on the train after it stopped and sat down. The men sat together while the women sat in a different seat.

“I really hate trains...” Adryn was already turning green and the train hadn't even begun to move yet.

“Just go to sleep. We'll wake you up when we get there.” Laxus stated as he leaned his head back and started to try to sleep before the train ever even moved yet. Adryn nodded her head, not that he saw, and rested her head against the window. She must have been tired from all the emotional drainage that happened that day because she fell right to sleep.

~

The five of them went from town to trying to track Ivan down, with no luck. It had been a week with no sign of Ivan when they walked into another town and caught a glimpse of what seemed to be Eclipse. All they caught was her hair as she turned a corner, but it was enough for Adryn to take off running. Quickly, the rest of them followed suit and ran after her. Eclipse must have noticed them because she moved just as fast as Adryn and led them to a remote

part of town before turning to face them.

“Hello again.” Eclipse stated when the five of them caught up with her. She had a snarky smirk on her face, which was completely unlike her.

“Eclipse, what is going on? Why are you part of Raven Tail?” Adryn demanded to her past best friend.

“Why? Because I want to be, of course.”

“You must know where Ivan is then, correct?” Freed questioned as he looked at the arrogant girl.

“Oh? Do I?”

“Tell us where he is!” Adryn yelled out, stepping forward angrily. Instead of responding, Eclipse raised a hand and muttered a few words before the air around her hand began to swirl. It became a little tornado pointed straight at Adryn. The little tornado then was sent straight towards Adryn incredibly fast. The girl didn't move out of the way, but Laxus grabbed Adryn and pulled her to the side to avoid the little tornado. It would have barreled right though Adryn, probably killing her.

“Does she have wind magic?” Evergreen questioned as she too avoided the little tornado that had passed Adryn and came at her.

“No, she has elemental magic, so all elements are at her control.” Adryn simply explained as she looked up at Laxus and muttered a thank you for saving her life.

“Elemental magic? I've never heard of that.” Freed stated as they all watched Eclipse raise another hand to begin creating an even bigger tornado pointed at all of them.

“Stop it, Eclipse, don't make me hurt you,” Adryn stated angrily once again. Eclipse just laughed and continued creating the tornado. So, Adryn used her pain magic on her. Adryn's eyes glowed and Eclipse began to cough, breaking the tornado. As Adryn used her magic on her, Freed created and enchantment around Eclipse to trap her. With Eclipse now trapped, Adryn stopped causing her pain.

“That was unpleasant.” Eclipse commented with a laugh.

“Tell me what is going on? Why are you acting like this?!” Adryn demanded as she approached the trapped Eclipse.

“Adryn, could she be brainwashed? You said she isn't acting like she used to act, maybe Ivan has taken over her mind?” Freed suggested as he thought deeply about the situation.

“That... is a possibility, but Eclipse has a strong mind, I doubt she'd be easy to control like that.”

“Try to talk to her, to see if you can break the brainwashing if that is what happened to her. You never know unless you try.” Evergreen stated to the redhead. Adryn nodded her head and approached Eclipse.

“Eclipse, please listen to me. This isn't you. You would never try to hurt me.” Adryn spoke up to her former best friend.

“Shut up! What do you know?!” Eclipse yelled back angrily.

“I know you better than anyone. You most likely are being controlled, so I know this isn't you right now.”

“Be quiet! You don't know anything about me!” Eclipse's face contorted in pain as she yelled out to Adryn. Something seemed to be bothering the pastel pink-haired girl. Pain was written all over her face.

“Eclipse, please, I know you aren't you right now, but I finally got you back. I don't want to lose you again. Please fight this and come back to me.” Adryn fell to her knees in front of Eclipse. Something in Eclipse must have clicked because, in a moment, the air around her seemed to change.

“Kill me before I kill you, Adryn,” Eclipse begged as tears came to her eyes. However, before anyone could react, Eclipse's silver eyes began to glow brightly and she emitted a bright light. She sent a huge blast of wind from her body, knocking Adryn backward. Laxus moved to catch her, but they were both sent flying backward and collided with a building with a loud thud.

“Laxus!” Freed yelled out as he turned to look at where the two had landed.

“Adryn!” Evergreen cried out as she too turned around.

“Hey, where did that chick go?!” Bickslow questioned as he realized that Eclipse had disappeared completely. Freed and Evergreen turned back around to see that Eclipse was indeed gone. However, that wasn't the most important thing at that moment, so the Thunder Legion hurried to Laxus and Adryn. Laxus had clearly taken the brunt of the hit, while Adryn suffered minor injuries.

Laxus' head was bleeding and there was a slight blood pool forming on his back. Adryn had cuts all over the front of her and she was bleeding from a few of the deeper cuts. So, worried about their friends, the Thunder Legion quickly took them to an inn. Bickslow and Evergreen carried Laxus, while Freed carried Adryn. As soon as they set the injured two on their own beds, Freed hurried off to find a doctor.

“Why did Laxus move to catch Adryn?” Bickslow questioned, with his babies actually not saying anything for once. They knew how serious the situation was.

“He just showed us that he truly does like her. He must care about her on some level. Especially to be willing to get injured for her sake.” Evergreen responded as she looked to her injured friends. The two then sat in silence for a little while until Freed returned with a doctor. Freed had already explained what had happened to cause Laxus' and Adryn's injuries.

“I'll check him out first.” The doctor simply explained before the man moved to Laxus. He spent about a half-hour checking him over and then treating the injuries that the man had. “This man only has superficial wounds. Just bruises and a few deep cuts. He'll be fine by tomorrow.” The doctor then moved to Adryn and spent the same amount of time on her as well. “She also will be fine by tomorrow. Both of them should wake up within the hour.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Freed spoke to the man as he paid him for his services. The doctor then left, leaving the Thunder Legion alone with the two injured people. Soon though, Laxus woke up. As soon as his eyes opened, they all threw themselves on the man.

“I'm so glad you're awake!” Freed, Evergreen and Bickslow all yelled out as they hugged their leader.

“Guys, get off me,” Laxus grumbled simply to his friends. They all let go one by one, with Freed letting go last. “What the hell happened?”

“Eclipse attacked Adryn, and you moved to help her, which resulted in both of you getting injured,” Freed explained causing Laxus to instantly turn his head to the unconscious Adryn.  
“Is she alright?”

“She'll be fine. Though, I think that is only physically. Mentally, Adryn might be hurting still.”

“I see.” Laxus frowned deeply as he looked at the girl. “When do you think she'll wake up?”

“She should be waking up soon.” However, Freed was wrong. An hour went by and Adryn never woke up. Two hours then went by and Adryn still didn't wake up. It was close to three hours going by when she still didn't wake up, which caused Laxus to get angry.

“I thought you said she'd wake up soon?” Laxus demanded as he looked to Freed.

“The doctor said she would wake up within an hour,” Freed explained, worried that he would just upset the blond man further.

“Freed, Bickslow, we should go get food. I'm sure Adryn will be hungry when she wakes up.” Evergreen stated as she looked to her two friends. Bickslow began to object, but Evergreen elbowed him instantly. “We should go get food, right Freed?” Evergreen was trying to get her male friends to not be so oblivious. She clearly wanted Laxus and Adryn to be alone together.

“R-right!” Freed caught on and nodded his head. Bickslow was still confused but allowed Freed to drag him out of the room. The Thunder Legion hurried out of the room and closed the door. After Laxus was left alone with the still unconscious Adryn, he began to speak to the girl.

“Adryn, we have a job to complete. I thought you wanted to make up for the things you've done. You can't do that when you're unconscious.” Laxus stated to the girl. He sighed when there was no response from her. It was like he thought she'd wake up if he asked her to. However, after a few moments of silence, the girl began to stir. Laxus watched as her eyes slowly fluttered open. She looked around with confusion before her eyes landed on Laxus.

“Where am I?” Adryn questioned in a quiet voice.

“It seems that we're at an inn.” Adryn nodded her head and slowly sat up. “Do you remember what happened?”

“Yeah, Eclipse attacked me, but why do you look hurt?” Laxus' head was wrapped with bandages from his head wound. He was also shirtless now with bandages around his abdomen.

“I tried to catch you and ended up getting hurt.” Laxus simply explained as he shrugged his shoulders. That caused him to wince though, causing Adryn to frown.

“I'm sorry that you got hurt because of me,” Adryn said after a moment. Laxus just shook his head and reached up to pat the girl on her head.

“It's alright. I'm just glad you weren't too hurt.” Laxus then realized what he said and turned away from the girl who was now blushing.

“Thank you, Laxus. You really did end up protecting me, didn't you?” Adryn had a smile on her face, while Laxus tried to not smile back at her. Then, the door burst open revealing Bickslow who stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Adryn. The rest of the Thunder Legion then all paused and looked to Adryn.

“You're awake,” Bickslow said, pointing out the obvious. Adryn nodded her head and watched as Evergreen and Freed followed Bickslow into the room.

“How are you feeling?” Freed questioned as he approached the girl.

“I feel... fine I guess. Just a little upset.” Adryn responded as she looked up to the green-haired man.

“Understandable.” Freed nodded his head and headed to Laxus. “How are you feeling, Laxus?”

“I'm fine. I don't even feel any pain.” Laxus simply said as he stood up. He looked at the three of them and looked confused. “Where's the food?”

“What food?” Evergreen spoke before it hit her. “Oh! That food.” Evergreen then looked to Freed to help fix the situation.

“We figured that we'd go to a tavern once Adryn woke up,” Freed explained, hoping that it would sound normal. Laxus just nodded

his head and moved to get his shirt on.

“Do you think you can eat?” Laxus questioned the redheaded girl who still sat on the bed. Adryn just nodded her head in agreement. “Then let's go.” Laxus began to put his shirt on as Adryn got out of bed. She stumbled a little bit, but Laxus instantly moved to catch her.

“Oh, thank you,” Adryn muttered as she regained her balance.

“No problem,” Laxus responded as he took a step away from the girl. He resumed putting his shirt on and watched as Adryn put her cloak and shoes back on.

Once they were ready, they headed out. There was a nearby tavern which was where they headed. Once there, Adryn and Evergreen went to find a seat, while the boys ordered beer and food for the group. As soon as it was all ready, the boys went to where the girls chose their seats. It was a corner table away from others, as they all weren't that friendly towards strangers.

“So, how will we go about finding Ivan?” Freed questioned after they were all done eating.

“Right to work again, huh Freed?” Bickslow sighed as his babies echoed “Right to work!” a few times.

“I think we need to find Eclipse. She'll guide us to Ivan. We should find her and follow her.” Adryn responded, ignoring Bickslow and his babies. That seemed to be good enough for the group and they all began to drink.

“Wait, Adryn, don't drink too much,” Laxus remembered after a couple of beers. Adryn frowned but nodded her head.

“You don't want to carry me back to the inn again?” Adryn joked as she looked to the man.

“I don't have a problem with that, I don't want you to get sick,” Laxus spoke without thinking and instantly froze once he realized what he'd spoken out loud in front of his friends. “I mean, you already are hurt, we don't need to be held back by you getting sick too.” Laxus tried to hide the caring under the rudeness of his comment. Adryn still smiled though.

“Thank you.” After that, they all began to chat about random things, mostly involving the plans for the upcoming days. It was a nice evening with them drinking, eating and chatting. For the first time in Adryn's life, she felt like she was apart of something good. She was really starting to like it.


	5. Truths

The next day, Adryn, the Thunder Legion and Laxus all woke up at a decent time and headed out to find Eclipse. They talked to various people of the town and asked if they'd seen her. She was very unique, so it would be obvious if they'd seen her or not. After about half the day of going around asking people if they'd seen Eclipse, they finally got a break. 

“Yes, I've seen that girl. She was quite rude to a shop owner the other day. I believe she's staying in that inn on the outskirts of town.” A little old lady informed the group. “Is she in any trouble?”

“No, she's my best friend and we're playing a game of hide-and-seek. I found everyone else, but her and needed help finding her.” Adryn easily lied to the woman, who just accepted that and went on her way. 

“Hide-and-seek?” Freed questioned looking at Adryn, confused. Adryn just chuckled and shook her head.

“Adryn and I will go follow Eclipse. You all head back to the inn and wait for us to return.” Laxus stated to the Thunder Legion. “The fewer people following her, the least likely she'll catch onto that we're following her.”

“Very well.” Freed nodded his head and turned to leave. Evergreen and Bickslow weren't too thrilled about it but went along with their leader. The three of them went back to the inn while Adryn and Laxus made their way to the inn that Eclipse was staying in. They waited there for about an hour before Eclipse finally exited the inn. 

They then followed her as she walked around town, did a bit of shopping and then took a sudden turn into an alley. They nearly lost her but came across her again as she began to enter the forest that was around the town. Laxus and Adryn followed her to a little house in the middle of the forest. She knocked at the door and they watched as Ivan opened it up and smiled at her before letting her into the house. 

“So, she really did lead us to Ivan...” Adryn muttered in disbelief. She didn't expect their plan to go so well, but that also gave her a bad feeling. However, she ignored the feeling and walked with Laxus to the house. They quietly checked to see if the door was open and when it was, they threw the door open and jumped into the house. There, waiting for them was about 20 people who all had Raven Tail guild marks on them someone visible. 

“Shit!” Laxus wore as the group of people began to attack them. However, the initial panic turned to relief when Laxus and Adryn realized that they were relatively weak people. During the fight, Adryn looked up and saw that Eclipse and Ivan were up in a loft just watching them. Ivan seemed cocky the entire time, even after Laxus and Adryn had defeated all of the people he'd sent after them. 

“Get down here and let me kill you!” Adryn yelled out angrily to Ivan. He just laughed and smiled down at the two. 

“I see that you two have been getting along,” Ivan stated with a smirk on his face that infuriated Adryn. 

“Get down here!” Adryn yelled once again but Ivan just wrapped his arm around Eclipse. 

“I've been getting along with Eclipse quite well. She's a good little puppet.” Ivan smirked as he looked at Eclipse, who was just staring blankly at Adryn. 

“Adryn, you need to calm down,” Laxus stated as he reached towards her, however, Ivan spoke up again. 

“I'll make sure that my men have as much fun with her as they did with you.” Ivan's words caused Laxus to pause, and Adryn to lose her shit. She instantly was up the stairs and lunging at Ivan. However, Eclipse stepped in front of Ivan to protect him. Adryn just shoved her out of the way and continued on, but Eclipse's appearance had given Ivan enough time to be able to react to the girl. Ivan just swatted Adryn away like she was a bug, causing her to fall down and hit the ground a few feet from Laxus. Adryn was a bit stunned but got back up again. Before she could attack once more, Ivan spoke up once more. “Have you already given yourself to my son? After he hears all that you've been through, I doubt he'd want something as tainted as you.”

“Shut your mouth!” Adryn yelled out as she was about to go after the man again, but Laxus beat her to it. He was right up to his father immediately and hit Ivan, throwing him backward. Eclipse instantly moved to attack Laxus, but Adryn stepped in and knocked her to the ground. Before Eclipse could get up, Adryn punched her hard right in the face, causing her to fall unconscious. As she dealt with Eclipse, Laxus went after his father again. He easily kicked his father's ass, causing Ivan to go down and stay down. “Let Eclipse go! Break whatever you have over her!” Adryn yelled out as she approached Ivan. He just chuckled and shook his head. 

“I don't think so. She's my new toy since you left me.” To this, Adryn punched him just like she'd hit Eclipse. Too quick for him to dodge and hard enough to knock him out. Adryn then took a step back and fell to the ground. She began to cry to Laxus' surprise. 

“Adryn?” Laxus hesitantly questioned as he took a step towards her. She shook her head and staggered to her feet. 

“I'm fine. Let's call the Magic Council to come to get Ivan before he escapes us again.” Adryn let Laxus do the calling while she went to find a rope to tie Eclipse and Ivan up. Eventually, she found some and Laxus tied his father up, while Adryn tied up her former best friend. 

It didn't take long for the Magic Council to arrive, due to the fact that Freed had already called them and they were already on their way. Adryn and Laxus figured that Freed had faith that they'd need the Magic Council so he called them before they'd even found Ivan. Laxus and Adryn were thanked for catching Ivan, and for their payment, they were given a good amount of jewels and were allowed to keep Eclipse as long as they kept a hold of her. The Magic Council gave them handcuffs that would cut off Eclipse's magic, so she couldn't fight them anymore. 

“Let's take Eclipse back to the inn before she wakes up,” Laxus spoke to Adryn who was still in a bit of shock. 

“Alright. Maybe Freed will have some way to break this brainwashing. He's super smart after all.”

“Right.” Laxus then went over and picked the still unconscious Eclipse up. He carried her to the inn and went to the room Adryn and Evergreen were sharing together. He set her on a chair and used the rope to tie her to the chair. After that was done, he went to go get the Thunder Legion, leaving Adryn all alone. Adryn just sat on her bed and stared at Eclipse. She wasn't sure what she was feeling, but she knew that she didn't like it. Eventually, Laxus returned with the Thunder Legion and they all began to try various ways to break the brainwashing. 

“Nothing is working!” Adryn cried out, getting completely frustrated at the situation. They have tried to just shock her out of it, by Adryn smacking her around, which only served to wake up Eclipse and make her angry. They tried to talk her out of it, which also just made her mad. They tried a few other things, like trying with enchantments, but nothing worked at all. 

“Just stop, I'm not going to be the Eclipse you knew once again.” Eclipse snapped at the girl who just turned away from her. 

“There must be something stopping her from coming out of the brainwashing.” Freed concluded much to Adryn's dismay. “We should take her back to Fairy Tail and see if Master knows any way to help her.”

“That's a good idea. Plus, I think you need to take a break and rest up.” Evergreen spoke to Adryn who just nodded her head. The men then bid goodnight to their female friends and headed to their own rooms, which was set up the same way as last time. Adryn quickly just crawled into bed and fell right to sleep, ignoring Eclipse's name-calling and bitching. 

~

The next day, they all found out how difficult it was to get Eclipse on a train. She fought them every step of the way to the train and continued to fight them once she was on the train. Eventually, Adryn lost her patience and used her pain magic on Eclipse, causing her to pass out after a solid five minutes of intense pain. Adryn was too worked up to even feel the motion sickness during the train ride but was still relieved when they reached Magnolia. As soon as they got there, they headed to the Fairy Tail guild. They then explained everything that happened while they were gone from the guild. 

“I'm sorry, Adryn, I don't think I know any way to break brainwashing.” Master Makarov finally stated after he listened to their story. Adryn just about broke down but kept herself together. 

“I understand Master. Do you think she can stay here for a little while? I don't think I can handle being around her right now.” Adryn spoke as she was clearly run down. He instantly agreed and Adryn left the guildhall. She headed home but could tell that someone followed after her. Once she got home, she turned around and realized that it was Laxus who'd followed her. “Do you want to come in?”

“I didn't follow you here to just stand outside your home,” Laxus stated as he smirked at the girl. She couldn't help but smile back and open up her door. They both entered it and sat down on the couch together. “How are you feeling?”

“I'm feeling a bit better now that I'm away from Eclipse, but I'm just so upset over her. I don't know how to help her and get her back to normal.” 

“I'm sorry, Adryn.”

“Why are you sorry, you don't need to be sorry.” Adryn instantly spoke up as she looked at Laxus. 

“No one should have to go through everything that you've gone through.” Adryn just shrugged her shoulders. 

“It's whatever at this point. I can't do anything about it.”

“You can move forward.” That caused Adryn to pause. 

“Move forward?”

“You can forgive yourself for what you've done. You don't have to live feeling like you feel all the time.” Laxus was being very kind to Adryn, causing her to turn to fully look at him. 

“You know, you're a good guy, Laxus.”

“You're a good girl, Adryn.” They both stared into each other's eyes for a few moments before Adryn burst out into a blush. She looked way from Laxus and began to think about something that she could talk about now. She then thought about Mira telling her to just tell Laxus that she likes him, so that's what she decided to do. 

“I...Laxus, I think I like you... No, I know I do...” Adryn refused to look at the man as she spoke. 

“Good, because I like you too,” Laxus muttered to her as he reached over and grabbed her face gently. He then turned Adryn's face to his and moved to kiss her. Instantly, Adryn internally flipped out. She couldn't handle what was about to happen, so she stood up from the couch, nearly causing Laxus to fall over. “What the hell?”

“I... I'm sorry. I can't do this.” 

“Why not?” Laxus stood up to stare down at the girl, but that only caused Adryn to jolt and shift away from him. It was clear that Adryn was emitting fear now, so Laxus just brushed past her. “Come find me if you get over whatever you're still holding onto.” Laxus' words were harsh and cut through Adryn like a knife. As soon as he slammed Adryn's door, she burst into tears. She collapsed to the ground and held herself as she sobbed. She'd been scared for a good reason, one that she never told anyone before. She didn't mean to get scared of Laxus, but memories came rushing back and it overwhelmed her. She felt terrible for upsetting Laxus, but most importantly, she felt terrible for rejecting the only man she'd ever grown feelings for. 

While Adryn cried to herself, Laxus stormed back to his house in town. There, he met up with Freed who was waiting on his front steps. Freed instantly could tell that something happened between Laxus and Adryn. 

“Laxus? I thought you were with Adryn.” Freed spoke as Laxus stormed past him to unlock his door. 

“I was. Everything was going well, and she just rejected me out of nowhere!” Laxus snapped at his friend, who just frowned in response. “She even seemed scared of me!”

“Don't you think if she did that she had a good reason?” Freed's tone was uncharacteristically cold to Laxus. The blond man spun around to Freed who continued talking. “Adryn has been through a lot in her lifetime. She must have a reason to suddenly reject you when it's so painfully obvious that she likes you. You must have done something that triggered something in her for her to fear you.” 

“I never thought about that...” Laxus muttered guiltily as he looked to the ground. 

“Of course you didn't. I bet you were just planning on having sex with her and then throw her away, weren't you? You're a true idiot sometimes, Laxus. You don't just want to have sex with her! You like her because your heart is falling for her!” Freed practically yelled at Laxus. Laxus just stared at Freed in shock as he watched the man gather himself and turn away from Laxus. “I apologize if I overstepped.” Freed was back to normal. “If you want my opinion, you should go apologize to her and make things right before you lose her.” With that, Freed left Laxus alone in his home. 

“I'm such an idiot!” Laxus grumbled as he sighed to himself. He immediately left his home and headed back to Adryn's home. He wanted to get there as soon as possible, so he used his lightning dragon slayer magic to get there faster. He was there at Adryn's home within minutes. As soon as he was there, he knocked on the door and watched as Adryn opened it. He instantly felt terrible when he saw her. It was obvious that she'd been crying. 

“What do you want?” Adryn's voice was quiet and low, but it was also strained. Laxus figured that she wasn't just crying, but full-on sobbing, all because of him and his actions. 

“I want to apologize for my actions and words.” Adryn showed her shock on her face, but Laxus ignored it and continued speaking. “I was out of line and should never have been so rude to you.” 

“It doesn't matter anymore. I forgive you, but it's meaningless. We can't be together.” Adryn then turned away from him and walked into her house. Laxus followed immediately after her. 

“What do you mean?” 

“It doesn't matter.”

“Adryn,” Laxus reached out and grabbed the girl as gently as he could and turned her around to face him. “What do you mean?” Tears began to come back to the girl's eyes, worrying Laxus. 

“I'm tainted as Ivan said. Someone like you doesn't deserve to go so low to be with someone like me.” 

“What are you talking about?” Adryn looked down at the ground and sighed. 

“From what I can remember, I did something that Ivan didn't like, so as a punishment, I was drugged and he let the members of Raven Tail do whatever they wanted with me.” Laxus' blood ran cold. “I don't know exactly what happened to me, but I know that I was assaulted by quite a few men.” Tears were falling from her eyes now but she just wiped them away and pulled her arm from Laxus' grip. “So just go. I don't want to taint you.” 

“I...” Laxus didn't know what to say to the girl. He was just disgusted and horrified that his father allowed and ordered such a horrible thing to happen to someone. “I don't think you're tainted, Adryn.” The girl looked up at him, shocked. 

“What?”

“I still want to be with you, but if you really don't want to be with me, then I won't force you. I'll show you that you deserve to be happy with someone. I'll help you get over the pain of your past.”

“How are you going to do that?” 

“I... don't know yet,” Laxus admitted as he looked away from Adryn. To his surprise, Adryn began to chuckle. 

“Fine, do whatever you want.” Laxus looked back at the girl and she was smiling a slight smile. “Can you go home now? It's late and I've been through quite an ordeal today. I really need to sleep.”

“Of course.” Laxus walked to the door but paused. “As I said, I will protect you, even if I have to protect you from yourself.” Adryn was a little confused but still smiled at the man as he closed her door and disappeared into the night. 

Immediately, Adryn got ready for sleep and climbed into her nice warm bed. She fell asleep thinking about how Laxus was going to help her. There was a smile on her face as she drifted off. 

~

The next day, Adryn went to the guildhall first thing in the morning. She wanted to talk to Eclipse about everything. She wasn't sure if it would do any good, but she wanted to tell Eclipse her whole life story and keep her updated on what she missed while she was “dead”. Eclipse had been set up in the infirmary, so that's where Adryn headed to immediately. She said hello to the few people who were there that early, and then made her way to Eclipse. Thankfully, the pink-haired girl was awake and just sitting up in one of the beds. She instantly glared at Adryn as soon as she walked into the room. 

“Hey there, Eclipse. I have a story to tell you.” Adryn started as she walked over to the girl. 

“I don't want to hear it,” Eclipse responded instantly. Adryn just chuckled and pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down. Adryn ignored the girl's protests and told her everything she'd told everyone else. She literally gave Eclipse her life's story and even informed her of the assaults that she's gone through. Eclipse seemed to cringe at hearing that, but Adryn just ignored it. She wanted her best friend to know everything about what had happened to her. Adryn knew that the real Eclipse would greatly care about it all and be upset over it. 

“So, that's my story, now onto Nova.” Eclipse twitched as soon as she heard Nova's name. Adryn noticed it but continued talking anyway. “From what Ivan told me, your little sister was murdered in a brutal way. She was supposedly fed to wild dogs and suffered great pain in her last moments alive.” To Adryn's surprise, hearing that brought tears to Eclipse's eyes. Adryn wasn't sure what that meant and if it was a good thing or a bad thing. However, there was something else that Adryn wanted to tell Eclipse, something she thought was most important currently. “You know, I loved your sister dearly. I would have died for her. At one point in my life, she was my everything. However, I found someone new now. It's a man, surprising right? I really like him a lot and I think Nova would like him too. If you were yourself, I'm sure you'd have bad things to say about him because his personality isn't always that great, but you would overall be supportive of it.” Adryn watched Eclipse slowly turn her head to face her with a deep frown with pure anger in her eyes. 

“What's wrong with you!? You are cheating on Nova by falling for someone else!” Eclipse suddenly burst out, all trace of tears gone and turned to rage. Adryn was shocked for a moment, but just softly smiled at Eclipse as she shook her head. 

“You're wrong, Eclipse. You know better than anyone that Nova would approve of this and want me to move on instead of dwelling on the past. That just shows me that we were right, you are being brainwashed by Ivan.” That seemed to cause something strange in Eclipse's mind. It was almost like she began to overheat and panic, before suddenly falling backward in bed. “Eclipse?!” Adryn herself began to panic, but before she could go anywhere and get some help, Eclipse's eyes shot open. Adryn let out a little shriek as Eclipse sat up in bed with a smile on her face. Adryn was preparing for the worst when Eclipse just normally turned her head to look at Adryn.

“Hey, Adryn. Somehow I'm... back?” Eclipse spoke up in a questioning tone. She seemed to have a different air around her now. It was less threatening and angry than before and felt like the way she used to feel like before everything went to hell.

“Are you really back? How is that?”

“I guess hearing all the shit you've been through and then talking about Nova somehow broke the brainwashing.” Eclipse explained simply. Adryn then removed the magic canceling shackles and the  
two girls hugged and nearly started to cry. 

“I'm so glad you're back!”

“Same!” They both began to laugh, however, Eclipse seemed to gain memories that she'd forgotten and began to cry. Adryn instantly began to panic once again.

“What's wrong?”

“I remember all the horrible things I did to people while I was being controlled. I tried to kill you and successfully killed others.”

“I've done worse, so it's alright.” Adryn was trying to be supportive but Eclipse just shook her head. 

“Adryn, I killed Nova.” Those words stopped Adryn's heart. She took a step backward and just stared at her best friend.

“W-what?” 

“I murdered my own little sister...” Eclipse seemed to be the most distraught about that. Adryn thought it over for a moment before she stepped back towards Eclipse. 

“It's alright, Eclipse. It wasn't your fault. It was my fault for not being able to protect both of you. I did all this to us. It's all my fault.”

“No Adryn, it isn't your fault and it isn't Eclipse's fault.” Both girls turned to look towards the door in shock. There stood Laxus with a frown on his face. “It's Ivan's fault.” After a moment of thought, Adryn agreed with the man.

“You're right.” Adryn nodded her head with a smile. Eclipse seemed to be able to accept that enough for now. 

“Is this the guy you mentioned?” Eclipse questioned after a moment. Adryn just turned red and nodded her head. “I see...” That was an ominous response to that, but Adryn and Laxus just ignored it for now. 

“You should take her home, Adryn. I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about.” Laxus then turned and walked out of the room before either girl could say another word. 

“He's right. I want to hear all about how you fell for THAT man.” Eclipse seemed to be in a little shock over the type of guy that Adryn chose to like. 

“I haven't fallen for him... yet...” Adryn whispered the “yet” causing Eclipse to chuckle. “Oh hush, let's go. I'll lead you to my house, but it's a long walk.” 

“We have time.” Eclipse stated as she climbed out of bed. The two girls left the infirmary and said goodbye to the people who were there, asking one of them to explain the situation to Master Makarov when he appears later on. They weren't sure where Laxus went though, so they couldn't say goodbye to him. 

They talked all the way to Adryn's home. They mostly just spoke about the town where they currently were and how the people were towards the Fairy Tail members and such. They planned on saving the most important stuff for home. They didn't want to talk about Laxus where others could hear them because Adryn was still quite shy about the situation. The time seemed to pass quickly as they walked into the forest due to them chatting. Eventually, they made it to Adryn's little home in the woods. 

“This is a cute little place, Adryn.” Eclipse commented as she walked into Adryn's home. 

“Thanks, I found it when I was wandering through the forest one day. I guess someone else built it and then abandoned it.” Adryn explained simply as she walked over and sat on a chair. Eclipse followed her and sat on the chair across from where Adryn was. 

“So, tell me all about that guy.” 

“Well, his name is Laxus and he's Ivan's son.” Eclipse just stared at Adryn. 

“Yeah, no, I got that much. I meant, explain who he is and how does he treat you. Like why did you start liking him?”

“Oh. Okay, well... He's a bit prickly sometimes. He is nice to who he likes and views as friends, but he really is a great guy underneath all the muscle.” Eclipse chuckled at that, but Adryn kept going. “He didn't really treat me that badly in the beginning, but it also wasn't that good. However, I got super drunk one night and he literally carried me back to our inn. I think he's actually a really sweet and caring guy, he just picks and chooses who he cares about carefully. I mean, he does have Ivan as a father, so I'm sure his upbringing wasn't all that great with him. Right? I mean could Ivan even be a good father if he tried?”

“Who knows? I know that I feel bad for Laxus for having such a father, but I also feel bad for Master Makarov for helping to produce such a bad son.” Adryn nodded her head in agreement before remembering something. 

“I told Laxus that I was assaulted, and he said that he doesn't think I'm tainted as I thought and that he wants to be with me, but won't force me into anything.” 

“That's good. I'm glad he didn't run away after hearing that.”

“Well like I said, he isn't a bad guy. He's a great guy who just has issues like everyone else.”

“So?”

“So...?” Adryn was lost and just stared at Eclipse, which caused the pink-haired girl to sigh.

“So, are you going to be with him or not!”

“Oh! Oh... Yeah probably. I mean I have some trauma to still overcome, but I don't want to lose him to another girl.”

“Well, I fully support you and I know Nova would too. Despite what I said when I was being controlled.” 

“Thank you, Eclipse. I truly appreciate that.”

“You should go tell him now!” 

“What?! No, no, no. I can't do that. I'm not ready.” Adryn got up and began to pace around. Eclipse just watched her and laughed a bit. 

“You never were good when it came to matters of the heart.” Adryn just frowned and stopped pacing, but then joined in on her best friend's laughter. The two knew that things would take more time to get back to how they were before, and maybe things could never fully go back to that time. However, they would be in this together and would somehow get through it all.


	6. Finally Together

When the next day came, Adryn and Eclipse woke up, got ready for the day and ate breakfast. They ate and chatted about Adryn's plans for the day. It was the big day that Adryn was going to tell Laxus that she wanted to be with him. It was taking a lot of courage to even think about saying that to him. 

“So, what are you going to say to him?” Eclipse questioned as she took a bite of her food. Adryn just shrugged her shoulders and continued eating. “You don't mean you're just going to wing it, do you?”

“That's exactly what I'm going to do. If I think about it took much, then I'll get too freaked out and start to panic.”

“You should at least have a plan!”

“I do! It's to tell him that I like him and want to be with him! I just don't know how those words are going to come out of my mouth!”

“Great, just don't fuck it up,” Eclipse muttered with a chuckle. Adryn smiled and muttered to herself. 

“I sure hope I don't fuck it up.” With that, the two girls got done eating and got ready the rest of the way before heading out to the guildhall. By the time they made it to the guildhall, mostly everyone was there, including Laxus. He was seated with the Thunder Legion and was chatting idly with them. 

“Good luck.” Eclipse whispered as she practically shoved me towards Laxus. She then made her way to the bar to talk with Mirajane, as Adryn had mentioned randomly that they'd become close friends, so Eclipse was curious about her. While Eclipse did that, Adryn made her way to Laxus. As soon as she got close, Evergreen noticed her. 

“Oh, hello Adryn. You got here pretty late.” Evergreen spoke up to the girl. 

“Um, it's only about midday. You guys got here early.” Adryn responded with a smile on her face. Laxus had turned around in his seat to look at her. “Laxus, can we talk?” For a split second, worry flashed in his eyes. 

“Sure.” Laxus then stood up and followed Adryn as she led him to a quieter corner of the guildhall. The Thunder Legion all were watching them and probably waiting to see how Adryn and Laxus were going to react around each other. “What did you want to talk about?” Laxus questioned once the two were seated. 

“I want to give you an answer about whether I want to be with you or not.” Adryn's voice was calm and gave nothing away. Her face was also the same. 

“Alright. What is your answer?” Laxus was remaining neutral as well. It was like neither wanted to show the other any emotion. 

“I... I want to be with you, Laxus. I don't know if I can really be in a normal relationship, because I really don't know how to be in a relationship. I want to try though.” Adryn then smiled up at Laxus, causing the man to release a breath that he didn't realize he was holding in. 

“I'm glad you feel that way.” Laxus smiled back at Adryn and was about to speak again, but was interrupted by someone else speaking. 

“If you want to be with Laxus, you have to go through us!” Freed declared loudly as he and the other two of the Thunder Legion approached Laxus and Adryn. 

“Huh? I thought you guys would be all for this?” Adryn questioned as she stood up with a confused look on her face. 

“Guys, what are you doing?” Laxus asked as he too stood up from the table. 

“We must fight, Adryn. For Laxus!” Freed spoke up as he put a hand on his sword. 

“Do you want to be with him too?” Adryn was very confused now and just had to ask that question. 

“I am devoted to Laxus, yes. However, I do not need to be with him, being by his side is enough. I just want you to prove that you are good enough for Laxus.” That didn't really answer Adryn's question, but she just nodded her head.

“Alright. I'll fight all of you, one at a time though.”

“Let's head to the training field.” Freed then turned around and walked out with Bickslow and Evergreen following after him. Adryn looked over at Laxus who just shrugged his shoulders. The two then went after Freed with a few others following them as well just to watch it all go down. Eclipse and Mirajane were part of the ones that followed along. 

“You won't be angry with me if I defeat them, right?” Adryn asked Laxus as they reached the field. 

“I get a feeling if you don't defeat them, then they won't let us be together,” Laxus spoke with a frown. Adryn just smiled and nodded her head. 

Once everyone was settled down and ready to watch the fight, Freed and Adryn stepped into the center of the field. They got ready to fight, and when Evergreen signaled for them to begin, Adryn flew into action. She was in front of Freed within a second and punched him right in the stomach with a fist full of blue lightning. Freed went flying backward but caught himself before he tumbled too far away. He then got his barrings straight and went to move to attack Adryn, but she was in front of him again. She went to punch him again, but he dodged it this time. However, that gave Adryn an opening to kick him, sending him flying backward again. 

Freed was in shock. Adryn seemed to be even faster than Laxus when it came to how she moved. She was weaker with her punches and kicks, but she made up for that with her speed and power of lightning. Each punch and kick that she landed on him caused lightning to pulse through him, slowly weakening him. He never even got the chance to fight back before he ended up on the ground breathing heavily with his own sword pointed at his neck. 

“I think I win,” Adryn stated as she moved the sword away from Freed and offered him a hand to help him up. He took her hand and allowed her to pull him to his feet. 

“You did win.” Freed nodded his head as he brushed off his clothing. “I was surprised, I figured you would use your pain magic on me yet again.” 

“I figured that I should fight you fair this time.” 

“Next, you fight me!” Bickslow stated, with his babies cheering, “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

Adryn had a bit of a harder time with Bickslow and his babies, but she was able to take him down. Evergreen was fairly easy to take down, but she did give Adryn a challenge. All three of the Thunder Legion ended up at the side of the field breathing heavily and bruised. Adryn was surrounded by people who were excited that she'd taken down the Thunder Legion so easily. Adryn just pushed through the group and made her way to Freed. 

“Does this mean I have your permission to be with Laxus?” Adryn questioned with a smirk on her face. 

“We lost. You can do what you want.” Freed responded as he looked up at the girl. 

“She probably wants to do Laxus.” Bickslow stated with his babies echoing, “Do Laxus! Do Laxus!”

“Shut up, Bickslow,” Evergreen complained as she smacked the man. Laxus shot Bickslow a glare before approaching Adryn. However, before Laxus could say anything to her, Natsu jumped in between them and began to yell. 

“Fight me next, Adryn!”

“Do you want to be with Laxus too?” Adryn questioned, mocking the pink-haired man. 

'What?! No, of course not. I just want to fight you again!” Natsu yelled out instantly. “Don't use your pain magic on me this time! I want a fair fight!” 

“Fine.” Natsu jumped towards Adryn and she just moved out of his way, and punched the back of his head, sending him face-first into the ground. “Um, are you alright?” Adryn questioned when Natsu just twitched on the ground for a moment. 

“Natsu!” Lucy cried out as she hurried to her friend. She helped him up and he was relatively fine. Adryn then turned to look at the group of people that surrounded them. 

“Does anyone else have a problem with me being with Laxus?” Adryn questioned the whole group. However, before anyone could respond, Laxus stepped towards Adryn, wrapped an arm around her shoulders before pulling her to him. 

“If anyone has a problem, they can screw off because I'm going to be with her regardless if I have everyone's permission or not!” Laxus yelled out to everyone who all just nodded their heads in agreement. 

“I'm so glad!” Everyone turned to see Master Makarov standing there with Mirajane. “Laxus finally found someone to settle down with!” He was nearly crying over the situation. 

“Whoa old man, we just started dating, there will be no talk of settling down yet!” Laxus grumbled instantly. Adryn blushed and sputtered something incoherent before everyone burst out into laughter. 

“Let's go celebrate Laxus and Adryn's getting together!” 

“Yeah!” Everyone responded as they all hurried back to the guildhall. 

“Let's go celebrate, alright Adryn?” Laxus looked down at his new girlfriend and watched as she blushed and nodded her head. Laxus held out his hand to her and she just stared at it. “Come on, so you don't get lost on our way back.” Adryn laughed and took his hand. They walked hand in hand all the way back to the guildhall. They all celebrated that night and probably (definitely) overdid it with the alcohol. 

~

A week went by and Laxus and Adryn's relationship had been going good. Well, good to Adryn, but Laxus had never moved his slow with someone before. He wasn't sure what was okay and what wasn't, so he just kept touching Adryn to a minimum. He would hold her hand and put his arm around her sometimes. He hadn't moved to kiss her yet and definitely hadn't tried anything past that. It wasn't like he was complaining though. He enjoyed just being with Adryn and seeing her smile, not that he'd admit something so sappy to anyone. 

Even with the slowness of their relationship, Laxus decided to take Adryn out on a date. He informed her to wear something nice, which caused her to panic. She only had shorts and tank tops with the occasional couple of pants, so her, Eclipse and Mirajane spent the day shopping for the girl before her date later that night. Adryn ended up in a casual black dress with some blue flowers on it. She didn't like wearing dresses but allowed it for that one night. 

“Hey Laxus, I'm sorry I'm late,” Adryn spoke up as she approached the man. He looked up at her to say something but froze when he saw her. This was his first time seeing her in such an outfit. “Don't stare at me.” Adryn was instantly self-conscious. She tugged at the hem of her dress, but Laxus just grabbed her hands gently. 

“You look beautiful tonight,” Laxus stated with a smirk on his face. “I mean, you always look beautiful, but it's different tonight.” Laxus looked at Adryn and hoped she understood what he meant. 

“I understand what you mean.” Adryn looked over Laxus and saw he was wearing different clothing. He didn't have his usual coat on and he wore a dark blue shirt and black pants. The two looked great together. “You look nice tonight too.” 

“Freed made me wear this.” To that, Adryn chuckled and smiled at her boyfriend. “You ready to go in?”

“Yeah.” Adryn and Laxus went into the restaurant and were seated right away in a private section of the restaurant. They were waited on right away and ordered their food and drinks. They decided to not drink any alcohol at dinner. 

“So, how did your day go?” Laxus questioned after he tried and failed to come up with anything else. Adryn chuckled and then responded to him.

“Mira, Eclipse and I went shopping and bought myself some new outfits. Apparently, only having shorts and tank tops was not acceptable to them.” 

“Freed and Bickslow were the same. They took me shopping for new shirts that weren't my normal colors. They must have coordinated with each other to get us both wearing something blue.”

“You're probably right.” Adryn chuckled as she took a sip of her water. They then just chatted about what upcoming jobs they were planning on doing and if they were going to keep working together, which was an obvious yes. It seemed like the Thunder Legion accepted her as a new member, but they'd have to officially talk to them about it to make sure everyone was okay with Adryn joining them.

Soon, the food arrived and they began to eat. As they ate, they chatted about random things all the while smiling and laughing with each other. It was nice that they could be themselves without worrying about other people watching them and judging them. After the food was eaten, Laxus paid and they left the restaurant. Adryn wanted to at least pay for her food, but Laxus refused to allow her to do that. He wanted to do the date right and be a complete gentleman to his girlfriend. 

“Come on, Laxus. You should have let me pay for myself. Since you wouldn't let me, what can I do to repay you for this wonderful evening?” Adryn was pouting as she looked up at the man. He smirked down at her and thought of something.

“You could kiss me.” Adryn's eyes widened and she blushed. “I mean if you want-”

“I want to.” Adryn quickly said as she took a step towards him. “I really, really want to.” 

“Good.” Laxus smiled down at Adryn and leaned over for her to be able to reach him. To his surprise, she took a step closer and pressed her lips to his quickly before she pulled away and looked away from him with her face completely red. However, Laxus wasn't satisfied with such a quick kiss and gently turned her head to face him before kissing her. The two kissed for a good bit of time before they finally broke apart. Adryn's face was redder than Laxus had ever seen it before. “You good?”

“I'm great.” 

“Come on, let's get you home.” Laxus wrapped his arm around Adryn and guided her through the streets and out into the forest. They walked in silence as they each thought about the evening. It was only just getting dark as they arrived at Adryn's home. Eclipse opened the door before Adryn could and smiled at the two. 

“Good, you got her home before dark. I approve.” Eclipse commented before walking away from the now open door. Adryn turned to Laxus and smiled up at him.

“Thank you for this date, Laxus. It was really nice.” 

“I hope we can go on many more.” 

“Yeah, me too.” With that, the two gave each other one final kiss before Adryn disappeared into her home. Laxus made his way back home while Adryn turned to smile at Eclipse, only to see her friend not smiling any further. “What's wrong?”

“How did your date go?” Eclipse questioned with a fake smile on her face. 

“It went really well. I had a great time.” 

“Good.”

“Eclipse, what's wrong?” Adryn wasn't stupid and she knew that something was up with her best friend. 

“I'm leaving.”

“What?”

“I have to track down every member of Raven Tail. I know there are still some out there.”

“We can all go track them down together!”

“No! You have a life here now. You moved on from your past! I need to do this myself. I need to make up for everything that I've done!” With those words, Eclipse walked to the door and opened it. “I'll return when I have finished my mission.” Then she was gone. Adryn wasn't sure what to do after that, so she just got changed into her usual clothing and headed out. She made her way to the guildhall and walked right to Mirajane. 

“Hey, Adryn! How did your da... What's wrong?” Mirajane questioned once she saw the look on Adryn's face. 

“Eclipse left. She said she needed to go after all the remaining members of Raven Tail.” 

“What, why?” 

“She has it in her mind that she has to redeem herself alone.” Adryn sighed and sat down. 

“On a better note, how did your date with Laxus go?” Mirajane set down a beer in front of Adryn and she began to blush as she took a drink of it. 

“It went amazing. I had a lot of fun.”

“Oh? What all happened?”

“We went to a restaurant and then he walked me home...” 

“Anything else?” Mirajane could tell that Adryn was holding something back. Adryn looked around to make sure no one was listening to them before turning back to Mirajane. 

“We kissed a few times. Those were my first real kisses.” Adryn was blushing again but Mirajane just cheered for her. 

“Oh Adryn, that's great!” Mirajane then gave Adryn a smirk. “Speaking of great, here comes Laxus now.” 

“What?!” Adryn panicked and turned around to see Laxus and Freed approaching her. Adryn tried to not blush as she looked at Laxus, but it didn't work. She was blushing and giving him a small smile. He returned her smile and came over to her fully with Freed at his side. 

“Hey, Adryn. What are you doing here?” Laxus questioned as Freed ordered some drinks for them. 

“Well, Eclipse left and I felt like I needed to be around people.” Laxus looked confused, so Adryn explained the situation. 

“I'm sorry that she left. I'm sure she'll be fine.” Laxus stated, trying to make Adryn feel better. She nodded her head and took another drink of her beer. 

“Let's get drunk tonight!” Adryn declared as she stood up. Laxus chuckled at her and agreed.

“Yes, let's get drunk.” With that, the two took their drinks and went to a table with the Thunder Legion. After they all had a drink, something came to Laxus' mind. “Hey, what do you guys think about Adryn joining us from now on?” 

“That'd be alright. I have a feeling that you'll be in a better mood if she's around.” Freed spoke up first with a smile on his face. 

“Finally I won't be the only girl in this group!” Evergreen stated with a huge smile on her face. 

“Yeah, that'd be cool,” Bickslow commented as he took a drink, with his babies echoing his last word a few times. 

“Great! Thank you guys for accepting me!” Adryn was extremely happy now. She was actually a part of something good and she knew that she was safe with her new friends and boyfriend. 

So, now that it was settled, they all began to heavily drink. The drinking led to chatting and laughing over random things. There were a few drunken fights in the guild, but it was more amusing than anything else. They all had a great time and eventually, everyone in the group passed out on the floor. Evergreen passed out with Elfman, who'd joined them a bit later on in the night. Bickslow was passed out holding his babies, while Freed passed out snuggling with his sheathed sword and finally, Adryn passed out in Laxus' arms. They all had a great night, but would most likely be suffering in the morning. Even so, they wouldn't regret that night one little bit.


	7. A Month Later

A month later, everything was seemingly going great for the new lovers. They shared many kisses and late nights just laying together talking about anything that came to their mind. They went on a few jobs with the Thunder Legion and everything was going great. So, wanting some alone time together and wanting quick money, Laxus and Adryn decided to go on a job themselves. It was a simple job, just helping out another guild, in a nearby town, with something that would only take a day. They should return to the guild that night, that's how simple the job was. 

“I can't believe we have to take a train...” Adryn muttered sadly as she climbed upon the moving death box. Laxus sighed and sat down right next to her. 

“It's the only way to get there so quickly,” Laxus responded as he looked over to the girl who was already turning a bit green. The train hadn't even started moving yet. “Are you going to be alright?” 

“Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm with you after all!” Adryn smiled up at Laxus who just smiled back at her. The train ride was terrible for both of them. They couldn't fall asleep, because who would wake them up, so they both stayed awake. Neither wanted to leave the other to fend for themselves, so it just sucked, but at least they were together. “So, where is this guild?” 

“I think it's just past this alley,” Laxus responded as he turned down said alley. However, as soon as they entered the alley, they were surrounded by people. They all had something in common, the guild mark of Raven Tail. “Shit,” Laxus swore instantly as all the people moved to attack them. Laxus and Adryn tried their hardest to fight them off, but there were too many people and they were actually strong this time. 

“This is for Master Ivan!” One man yelled out as he smashed Laxus over the head with a pole, causing Laxus to hit the ground. 

“Laxus!” Adryn cried out as she saw her boyfriend go down, however, that distraction was enough for someone to be able to also hit her over the head. Both of the lovers laid on the ground, bleeding and unconscious. 

When they didn't return that night, Freed grew worried, but he figured that they just stayed the night to have more alone time. However, when they didn't return by the next night, the whole guild was worried. So, the master sent the Thunder Legion out to find them. They hurried to the town that Laxus and Adryn went to and followed the instructions that Freed remembered seeing off the paper that Laxus had. It led them to the alley that everything went down in.

“Freed, look over here!” Evergreen cried out as she made her way to a blob of black. She picked it up and it turned out to be Adryn's cloak. There were traces of blood on it. As they looked around the alley, they saw two dried pools of blood. 

“They must have been met by an ambush. They wouldn't go down unless there were many people that surrounded them. Even then, they must have been strong to take Laxus down like that. He would never have let Adryn get hurt, so he must have gone down first.” Freed suggested as he examined the scene. “We need to get back to Fairy Tail. Now.” 

~

Adryn woke up with a massive headache. She didn't remember anything that happened, but once she opened her eyes, she realized that she wasn't anywhere that she knew. She looked down at herself and saw she was wearing a pale blue nightgown that only came to her thighs. 

“What the hell?” Adryn muttered to herself. She realized she was on a bed, so she climbed off of it and walked to the door of the room she was in. The door opened instantly as soon as she tried it, much to her surprise. So, Adryn began her trek through the halls of wherever she was. There were multiple halls that seemed to lead around in circles and some that even led to dead ends. Most of the doors were locked, and what ones were unlocked were completely empty or had bedroom furniture in them. There were no windows, prompting Adryn to assume she was in an underground hideout or something like that. 

Slowly, things came back to her and she remembered how she got there in the first place. So, worried about Laxus, the girl began to search faster to try to find him. More hallways and more doors later, she came up with absolutely no people at all. There seemed to be no one there, or no one was allowing themselves to be seen by her. That, or they were in the locked rooms that she couldn't enter. 

“Where the hell is Laxus?” Adryn muttered to herself as she turned a corner and entered down another hallway. However, her question was then answered. There at the end of the hallway stood Laxus and Eclipse. They were standing there talking. Adryn could hear bits and pieces, but from what she heard, they were talking about where she was. That gave Adryn a bad feeling so she quickly hid in an unlocked room. She hoped that they didn't see or hear her, but she had a feeling that she needed to hide. The room she entered was one of the empty rooms that didn't even have a closet or any other doors leading out of there. She'd trapped herself. 

“I think she went in here.” Adryn heard Eclipse say, however, her voice sounded monotone and just plain wrong. It wasn't the Eclipse that she knew. 

“I think it was this room.” Adryn heard Laxus speak up next with his voice sounding the same as Eclipse's. Adryn hurried to the door and grabbed the doorknob. She felt the handle trying to be turned on the other side, but she wouldn't let it budge. “I must be right, this door won't open. She must be holding the doorknob.”

“What if it's just locked?”

“I can smell her scent on the other side of this door.” Adryn began to panic internally. She kept a tight hold of the doorknob, but she knew that in a test of strength, Laxus would win. She was most definitely physically weaker than her boyfriend. “I'll just kick it down.”

“You'll hit her! We aren't supposed to harm her.” Eclipse snapped at the man, with her voice slightly raising a bit. 

“Adryn, move aside and let us in,” Laxus called through the door. 

“No! Go away!” Adryn yelled back to Laxus. 

“It's just us, we won't harm you,” Eclipse responded in a fake sweet voice that sent chills down Adryn's spine. Adryn felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. She was afraid and knew that something bad was about to happen to her. 

“You will hurt me, I know it. You aren't my friends!”

“Come on Adryn, I love you, just open the door.” Laxus' words were sweet, too sweet. 

“Laxus has never said those words to me, so I know that you aren't him right now!” 

“Let us in, dammit!” Laxus then banged on the door, causing Adryn to jolt and release the doorknob. She instantly tried to grab it again, but it was too late. The door was opening, so Adryn hurried away from it and reached the other side of the room. 

“Stay away from me!” 

“We just want to talk.” Both Eclipse and Laxus spoke in unison. They began to slowly approach her causing Adryn to internally panic even further. She knew there was only one way out of the room, and she needed to reach that door before they got their hands on her.

“I'm sorry, both of you,” Adryn spoke up as her eyes began to glow. She focused her energy on both of them, causing them both to show the signs of being attacked by her pain magic. She'd never attacked two people at once using her pain magic, so she felt proud of herself, but she didn't have any time to pat herself on the back. She used them collapsing to the ground as her opening. She slowly crept around them, keeping her eyes on them the whole time and made it to the door. She instantly spun around and raced out of the room. She knew that they'd come after her within a few minutes after the attack. It would take some time though, for them to get over how strong she caused their pain to be. She just hoped that she didn't kill them accidentally. 

So, Adryn ran through the halls, nearly slipping and falling a few times she flung herself around a corner. She turned down this hallway and that hallway, but she couldn't find the exit or even smell the outdoors. She was utterly lost and had little hope of escaping. All hope came crashing down when she turned a corner and smacked right into somebody. She let out a scream when they grabbed her, pinning her to the wall. 

“Hello, Adryn. It's been a while since we last saw each other. I guess you saw my new toys, right?” It was Ivan's voice. Adryn looked up and saw his smile as he stared down at her. Tears began to fill her eyes, and they began to glow, trying to attack Ivan. However, before any pain could happen, he covered her eyes with a cloth and tied it behind her head. So, she tried to shock him with her lightning, but before that could work, he shackled her hands with magic canceling handcuffs. 

“Let me go!” Adryn cried out as she struggled in his grasp. 

“You look quite beautiful in that. I knew blue was your color.” That sent Adryn spiraling. She began to cry but before she could yell at Ivan again, she heard two pairs of footsteps approaching her and Ivan. 

“Master, you've caught Adryn?” Eclipse questioned as she saw the scene in front of her. 

“You idiots, you had one job and you failed me. What would you have done had she escaped?!” Ivan yelled at the two standing a few feet away from him and Adryn. 

“I'm sorry, Master,” Eclipse muttered in shame as Laxus remained quiet. 

“Now that I have my hands on you, I'll take back the lacrima that I put inside of you. I'll use it to make a better, more obedient child.” Ivan stated as he turned his attention back to the crying Adryn. She felt like she had no hope left, so she broke down and began to scream. At first, it was just screaming, but then she began to address those around her. 

“Ivan! I hate you with everything I have! I hope you die a death more painful than anything you could imagine and I promise you, when I see again, I will end you myself!” Adryn screamed out as she struggled in Ivan's hands. “Eclipse, you are pathetic! I can't believe someone as strong as you got brainwashed, a second time! I hope you know that I hate you as well, you killed Nova and I will never forgive you for that!” Eclipse twitched at hearing those words but said nothing to Adryn. “And Laxus... I don't love you and I regret everything that we have together. If you could turn against me so easily, then I wish you nothing good. You all will regret what you've done to me, and I will end all of you and everyone involved in this!” Adryn continued to scream out as she cried. 

“That's funny, Adryn. You think anyone cares what a dying girl has to say?” Ivan began to laugh at the now sobbing girl. Ivan then began to walk Adryn down the hallway, away from Eclipse and Laxus, only to have Ivan knocked to the floor a moment later. 

“Let Adryn go!” Eclipse demanded as she stared down at the shocked man. “Get her out of here! I'll handle him!” 

“Right,” Laxus stated as he ran to Adryn, picked her up and began to hurry off away from Ivan and Eclipse. 

“How did you two wake up?! What is going on?!” Ivan bellowed as he stood back up to begin running after Laxus and Adryn. Eclipse stepped between them, however, and smiled at Ivan.

“Hearing her yell those terrible things shocked us out of your brainwashing. You weren't stronger than the power of love I guess.” Eclipse stated as she just smirked at Ivan and got ready to attack him. 

While those two began their fight, Laxus got Adryn to the other side of the hideout they were in and hid one of the bedrooms. He gently sat Adryn down on the bed and removed her shackles and then her blindfold. He couldn't help but gasp at what he saw. He'd never seen Adryn crying like that before and instantly felt terrible because of it. 

“Adryn, I'm sorry for-”

“I'm so sorry for saying those horrible things to you and Eclipse!” Adryn broke down, cutting Laxus off with her sobs. “I just wanted you two to come back to me!” 

“It's alright, we won't hold a grudge against you. After all, it shocked us back to our senses.” Laxus surprisingly gently told the girl. He took off his coat and wrapped it around her before wrapping his arms around the shaking girl. “I told you I'd protect you, and I failed at that. I'm sorry, Adryn.” The girl pulled away from Laxus enough to began to wipe her eyes as she shook her head. 

“No, you protected me when it mattered most.” Adryn gave Laxus a small smile before she leaned against him. “I'm just glad you're back.” The two stayed like that for a little bit before Adryn fully calmed down. They then let each other go and stood up, with Adryn putting her arms into Laxus' coat so it didn't fall off of her. 

“Why are you wearing such a short outfit anyway?” Laxus questioned finally as it had been on his mind since he came back to his senses. 

“I woke up like this, so I don't know.”

“So that means... someone changed your clothes while you were unconscious?” Laxus wasn't sure he liked the thought of that, so he quickly changed the subject. “What are we going to do now?”

“I'm sorry to say this, but I think we need to end Ivan.”

“What?” Laxus was taken aback by Adryn's comment and how she said it so simply. 

“I mean, he's caused my young life to be a living hell, killed my family, killed Eclipse's family, brainwashed both of you and tried to turn you against me. He's escaped custody, so we can't trust that he'll stay where he's supposed to, and clearly he is still out to get me. I'm tired of it.” Adryn explained as she looked up at her boyfriend. Laxus frowned and turned away from Adryn. He was hesitant to agree to kill his own father, but soon enough he agreed to Adryn's plan. 

“Alright.” Laxus agreed simply before talking again, “Let's get back to Eclipse before he escapes again.” 

“Yeah.” Adryn nodded her head as she followed the man out of the door. Laxus and Adryn hurried to where they left Ivan and Eclipse. It took them longer to get back than it did to get away from them in the first place. However, soon they were at the scene where Eclipse was fighting Ivan. What they saw shocked Adryn. 

“Oh, look there. They've come back for you.” Ivan laughed as he held Eclipse by her throat. Eclipse was struggling but she wasn't able to break free from his grasp. Instantly, Adryn's eyes began to glow and Ivan began to feel the searing pain in his chest. 

“Let. Her. Go.” Adryn demanded as she glared at Ivan. Sure enough, Ivan dropped Eclipse and Laxus pulled her up to her feet. “Eclipse, Laxus, get away from him. I'm going to kill him.” 

“What? You can't do that Adryn. Not only would that take away so much magical power from you and put you in danger, but it would fuck your mind up.” Eclipse noted as she pulled out a dagger. 

“What are you doing?” Adryn questioned her friend as Eclipse set her sights on the man who was now on his knees. Ivan was gasping for air as pain shot through him. 

“If you want Ivan dead, then let me do it.”

“I should kill him, he's my father after all,” Laxus stated as he took a step forward towards Eclipse. However, the pink-haired girl just shook her head.

“Neither if you should do this. Especially not you, Laxus. Adryn and I are killers already, but you don't have to become someone so cold-blooded as to be able to kill his own father.”

“I can do this, Eclipse! Back away!” Adryn yelled at her friend, who just shook her head again. 

“You have gotten over what you've done. I'm scared of what this could do to you if you killed him now.”

“...Fine.” Adryn closed her eyes and turned away from the scene. Laxus walked passed Eclipse and went to his girlfriend, before pulling Adryn into his arms. Both of them didn't want to witness what was about to happen to Ivan. 

“You can't kill me,” Ivan growled to Eclipse as she turned to face him. He was still on his knees and still felt residual pain from Adryn's magic. 

“That's where you're wrong.” Eclipse raised up the dagger and then brought it down right into Ivan's chest. He yelled out in pain as Eclipse dug her dagger deep into his body. Adryn flinched in Laxus' arms, so he just held her tighter. He, himself, wasn't reacting too well to hearing his own father's last moments. The two could hear Eclipse yank the dagger back out of his chest, to allow the blood to begin to pour out of him. 

“You... will... regret this...” Ivan muttered as his breathing became labored. Everything went quiet for a few minutes before Eclipse turned to her best friend and Laxus. 

“It's done... We should probably call the Magic Council, right?” Eclipse questioned hesitantly. She didn't really want to do that, due to her just killing a man, but she knew it had to be done. 

“I guess we have to, right, Laxus?” Adryn asks her boyfriend as she looks up at him. He seemed a little shaken up, but for the most part, he was alright. 

“We have to call them,” Laxus confirms as he pulls out his device to call the Magic Council. After explaining to them all that happened, they arrive to take the dead body away and to arrest Eclipse for murder. 

“Why do you have to take her?! She was just protecting us!” Adryn yelled out at the men as Eclipse was pulled away. Laxus had to hold the redhead back from running after them. 

“Adryn, they have to take her for now, but it doesn't mean that they will keep her forever,” Laxus explained to the upset girl. She struggled for another moment before giving up. She then went still in Laxus' arms and glared at the Magic Council people as she watched Eclipse being loaded into a vehicle. 

“What are we going to do now?” 

“...We have to go back to the guild to tell everyone what happened... Gramps needs to know what happened to his son.” Laxus spoke with a somber tone, to which Adryn just nodded her head. The two quickly got on a train and headed back to Magnolia. Once there, they hurried to the guildhall. It was about dusk, so mostly everyone was drinking, however, when Laxus and Adryn burst into the guildhall, they all paused and looked to them. 

“Laxus! Adryn!” The Thunder Legion cried out as they hurried to their friends. 

“Where have you been?” Freed questioned as he began to check them over for wounds. 

“What's up with your outfit, Adryn?” Bickslow questioned in a suggestive tone. Evergreen just smacked him for that and asked her question. 

“Are you two alright? It's been days since you left on that job.” A lot of other guild members began to get up and approach the pair, questioning them as well. Adryn was clearly getting overwhelmed and took a step backward, while Laxus moved in front of her protectively. 

“Let them explain everything. Everyone back away from them.” Master Makarov demanded as he came out of whatever room he was just in to see what all the commotion was about. Everyone did as their master told them to and backed away from Laxus and Adryn. “Now, what happened to you two?” 

“It's a long story, Gramps, and I don't think you'll like the outcome,” Laxus explained to his grandfather as he approached him. Adryn trailed behind and just followed Laxus to the bar where Mirajane gave the two water to drink. Adryn sipped at her drink while Laxus explained the whole situation. 

Laxus explained how they were ambushed, how he and Eclipse were brainwashed, how they almost allowed Ivan to take off with Adryn and how they ended up having to let Eclipse kill Ivan. 

“So, Ivan is dead?” Master Makarov muttered wanting Laxus to repeat it. 

“I'm sorry, Master. I never wanted anything to come to this.” Adryn finally spoke up as she looked down at the ground. 

“It isn't your fault, Adryn,” Laxus stated as he turned to his girlfriend. 

“Laxus is right. Ivan brought this upon himself.” Master Makarov stated finally, seeming to accept the situation. He was obviously upset over it, but he knew that it had to be done. “I'm just worried about what they will do to Eclipse. She might not be one of us, but  
she's your family, Adryn.” 

“I know... I hope they don't do anything drastic...” Adryn muttered worriedly.

“Laxus, take her home. Both of you need to take some time to yourselves.” To his grandfather's words, Laxus nodded his head. Laxus wrapped an arm around Adryn and guided her out of the guildhall. He didn't take her to her home, he guided her to his home. 

“Where are we?” Adryn finally asked as she looked up for the first time in a while. She saw that she was somewhere in town, but she didn't know where. 

“My apartment building.” Laxus simply explained as he walked up the stairs with her still next to him. Adryn allowed him to guide her into his apartment and to his kitchen. He sat her down at his dining table and then began to prepare food for them. As all this happened, Adryn didn't say a single word. She just blankly stared at Laxus and watched his actions. 

“What are you doing, Laxus?” Adryn finally questioned after he made a few loud bangs as he moved around in his kitchen. 

“I don't think we've eaten in a while. We need food.” Laxus muttered as he began to cook food.

“You can cook?”

“I was living on my own for some time before, you know.” 

“Oh, that's right. I guess I never thought about you being able to provide for yourself like that before.” Adryn didn't mean it in a harsh way, so Laxus didn't take any offense to it. Soon enough, Laxus was done with the cooking and he was putting the food on plates for the two of them. 

“Let's eat,” Laxus stated as he set the plate in front of Adryn and then set his own plate down before sitting across from the girl. 

“Thank you.” Adryn practically whispered as she began to nibble on the food in front of her. Laxus ate and watched as Adryn mostly just picked at her food and took a few bites here and there. 

“Are you alright?” Laxus knew that she wasn't alright.

“I'm just... I think I'm still in shock is all.” Adryn admitted to her boyfriend. 

“Do you regret it all?” 

“No, I don't. I'm... glad that Ivan can no longer hurt anyone. I just feel like something is off like something isn't right. Plus, I'm worried about how the remaining members of Raven Tail will react to Ivan's death.” Laxus nodded his head to Adryn's words. An idea instantly came to mind. 

“We, as in us and the Thunder Legion, could go hunt down everyone in Raven Tail and take them all down. No matter how long it would take. Of course, after we find out Eclipse's fate.”

“Yeah, I'd like that. Thank you.” Adryn then stood up from her seat. “I should get going now.” 

“No,” Laxus stated as he stood up from his seat as well. “You shouldn't be alone anymore.”

“Why?”

“I love you, Adryn. I want you to live here with me.” 

“Huh?” Adryn was rightfully shocked as Laxus had hardly even admitted to the girl that he liked her in the first place. Laxus didn't always tell his feelings to her, so for him to outright admit he loved her, it was shocking. 

“Nearly losing you made me realize that I should be honest and just tell you about how I feel for you.” 

“I'm sorry, Laxus. I think we should break up. Despite how we feel about each other, I've brought you so much trouble and you're better off with someone like Mira or someone like that. Someone from the guild, that's a truly good person.” Laxus just shook his head and walked to the girl. 

“I don't and haven't ever felt anything like this for any girl in the guild. Hell, I've never admitted to loving anyone but you before. You are the first girl I've ever truly loved. I would die for you if I had to.” Laxus spoke all this as he looked directly in Adryn's eyes. She could see his sincerity. It was quite shocking to hear such things from the man who didn't seem the type to say such things. 

“Well don't do that. You aren't allowed to die.” 

“Then you aren't allowed to give up on our relationship.” Adryn just stared up at Laxus before sighing. 

“Alright, I give up. I'll stay here with you.” Adryn finally spoke up after a moment. “Despite trying to leave you a moment ago, I have to admit that I love you as well, Laxus.” Laxus couldn't help but smile down at the girl. He was admittedly glad to hear her admission. He was also glad at what Adryn did next. She took a step towards the man and wrapped her arms around him. He reciprocated by wrapping his arms around her as well. They stayed like that for a few minutes, just holding each other. They had a feeling that things would turn out just fine for them. Or at least they hoped.


	8. New Journey

After Adryn and Laxus separated from their hug, they headed to Adryn's home. She needed to collect some of her things for the night before she fully moved into Laxus' home at a later date. Adryn chose some clothing and a few books as the items that she brought with her to her boyfriend's home. Once they got back to his apartment, they saw the Thunder Legion waiting there for them.

“What brings you guys here?” Adryn asked as she approached the three of them.

“We... wanted to make sure that you two were alright,” Freed stated simply. His hesitancy caused Adryn to smile at them.

“You mean, you missed us, along with wanting to check up on us.”

“I guess you could say that. So are you going to let us in or what?” Evergreen questioned as she shivered slightly. The night was approaching and it was getting a little chilly now.

“Of course.” Adryn chuckled as she watched Laxus walk up the steps with the Thunder Legion following quickly behind. She followed them and as soon as they were in Laxus' apartment, she set her bag down. Laxus had another bag of hers as well, but she insisted on carrying her bag of books.

“What's up with the bags?” Bickslow finally asked what the three of them were thinking.

“Adryn lives here now.” Laxus simply spoke up like it was no big deal.

“You two live together now?!” Evergreen cried out in shock as she looked back and forth between the two lovers. Adryn was smiling as Laxus just shrugged his shoulders.

“Laxus decided that he couldn't live without me any longer and made me realize that I can't live without him either,” Adryn explained simply, leaving out the part where she tried to leave him before.

“I'm happy for you two. You guys are a good couple.” Freed commented instantly.

“Yeah and I'm sure you two will have plenty of fun now.” Bickslow stated with his babies repeating, “Fun! Fun!” Adryn just shook her head as Laxus glared at his friend.

“As long as you two think it's good for you, then I'll support you on this,” Evergreen spoke up, ignoring Bickslow and his babies.

“So, how did you two come to the conclusion that living together was a good idea? What caused this decision other than your feelings?” Freed was clearly curious. It wasn't every day that Laxus decided to have a girl live with him.

“Well, after all the things I went through, Laxus decided that he didn't want me to be alone anymore. After I got over trying to break up with him, I decided it was a good idea as well.” Adryn explained causing the Thunder Legion to all look at her with shocked faces.

“You tried to break up with him?!” All three reacted instantly.

“Yeah, she tried to leave me. Over something stupid.” Laxus spoke up finally, causing the three friends to look between them with confusion. “She felt that she caused me too many problems.”

“You felt you were a burden on Laxus?” Freed looked to the redhead for clarification. She just nodded her head in response. “Laxus would never think you're a burden, right Laxus?”

“Of course I don't and won't think she's a burden,” Laxus stated immediately.

“I believe you, but I just am worried that I'll cause even more problems and-” Adryn was about to go on a tangent about different things, but Laxus interrupted her.

“It'll be okay. I said I'd protect you and I will. Even if it's from yourself and your negative thoughts.”

“So sweet.” Bickslow teased with his babies echoing his words twice.

“Don't tease Laxus!” Freed demanded as he turned to Bickslow.

“Anyway!” Evergreen spoke up, stopping Bickslow and Freed from beginning to bicker over the situation. “I'm glad you didn't let Adryn leave you, Laxus. You seem a lot happier with her around.”

“He better be happier with me around,” Adryn stated with a smirk on her face. Laxus just smiled at her and caused her to chuckle at her own words. From there, the group sat down and began to chat about everything that came to mind. They talked about how Laxus and Eclipse were brainwashed and how Adryn broke it. That was another thing that Adryn still felt bad about, but she chose to not admit it. They also talked about how Laxus and Adryn decided that they would all go search for the remaining members of Raven Tail and take them down once and for all. The Thunder Legion gladly accepted their invitation to come along with them to hunt them down.

Eventually though, the day grew late and the Thunder Legion had to head to their homes. The Thunder Legion bid farewell to Laxus and Adryn and headed out into the night. That left Adryn and Laxus alone for their first night as a couple who lived together. That would mean they would sleep together in one bed, which caused Adryn some anxiety.

“You alright?” Laxus questioned as he noticed that Adryn hadn't been moving or speaking for some time. She looked up seemingly shocked at hearing Laxus' voice suddenly.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I was just thinking.” Adryn responded immediately. She answered a little too fast causing Laxus to realize that she was worried about something.

“What's wrong?” Laxus asked this as he reached down and grabbed the bag he previously was holding containing Adryn's clothing. He then made his way to grab Adryn's bag of books to take them to his bedroom.

“Um, well... It's just... I haven't really ever slept next to someone before...” Laxus paused in his movements and turned around to face the girl. He was a little shocked, but as he knew, she had a not so great past, so of course she never truly slept next to someone before. They'd laid together outside as they watched the stars, but they never slept together yet. “I'm just a little nervous.”

“I understand, but you don't have to be nervous. I won't do anything you don't want me to do.” Laxus reassured her as he's had to a few times. She was very skittish at times when it came for them to be close together. She still had some residual trauma locked deep inside.

“I know, Laxus. I trust you.” Adryn smiled at her boyfriend and then stood up from the chair she was sitting in. The two of them headed to Laxus' bedroom and began to get ready for bed. They didn't change in the same room though, due to Adryn not being ready for that level of intimacy yet. Eventually though, they were both changed and were standing in Laxus' room together. Adryn was wearing a nightgown that was blue with black roses on it. Laxus was wearing just his underwear with a shirt. He usually didn't wear a shirt, but he felt that for the sake of his girlfriend, he should wear one for a bit while she was getting used to sleeping next to him.

“Are you ready to go to sleep, Adryn?” Laxus questioned as both of them just stood there looking at the bed.

“Yeah...” Adryn had a strange look on her face. It was almost like she was debating saying something.

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing yet,” Adryn spoke up as she climbed into Laxus' bed. He followed after her and climbed into his side of the bed. He was on the left side and she was on the right. They both laid with their backs to each other, but something just didn't feel right. “Laxus?”

“What is it?”

“Can we lay closer together?”

“Come here.” Laxus laid on his back and opened his arms up for the girl. She instantly moved closer to him and snuggled into his arms. Her head was on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her body. “Better?”

“Much better,” Adryn muttered sleepily. Adryn felt quite safe in Laxus' arms, probably more safe then she's ever felt in her whole life. Laxus was just glad that Adryn was comfortable. He knew deep down inside that he'd do anything for her. So, with each other on their minds, the two lovers drifted off to sleep.

~

Laxus woke up in the morning feeling happier than usual. It was the first time he was going to wake up with his girlfriend. However, when he rolled over to see her still asleep face, he saw nothing but an empty bed. He reached out on instinct to feel if the bedsheets were still warm, but they were ice cold. Immediate panic shot through him like lightning and he shot up in bed. He nearly ran out of his bedroom, just to see Adryn on his couch just reading a book. When he threw the door open, she was so startled that she dropped her book and turned to look at Laxus.

“W-What's wrong?” Adryn spoke with worry in her voice. Laxus visibly calmed down and sighed before walking over to Adryn and sitting next to her on the couch.

“I... I thought you left. When I woke up and didn't see you, I was worried that you left me like you wanted to before.” Laxus finally admitted after a few moments of debating if he should tell her or not. Adryn just frowned and took one of Laxus' hands.

“I'm never going to leave you. I swear. I'm so sorry that I made you worry.” Adryn looked into Laxus' eyes and smiled at him.

“Let's go back to bed. We have the day off today.”

“Alright,” Adryn responded with a chuckle. She then picked up her book, put her bookmark back into it and let Laxus drag her back to his bed.

“How did you sleep?” Laxus questioned after they were laying in bed snuggling together.

“Surprisingly well, for all the bullshit that we've been through recently. What about you?”

“I slept so well I don't even think that I dreamed of anything.”

“Ah, well I'm glad. I don't think I recall a dream last night either.” Adryn thought hard on that. She just couldn't remember if she had a dream or not.

“When did you wake up?” Laxus asked thinking to how it was fairly early and she was up clearly long before him.

“I woke up when it was still dark outside. I felt fully rested and didn't want to just lay here bored, so I got up to read my book. Though, if I knew that it would cause you such worry, I would have stayed by your side and read the book in here.” Adryn was frowning again as she felt terrible that she caused Laxus worry.

“It's alright, just wake me up next time. You don't need to be alone anymore. I'll wake up at any time if it means we get to be together.” Adryn's heart soared with Laxus' words. He was being extra sweet which was a surprise to both of them.

“Alright, just don't get angry when I wake you up in the middle of the night just because I'm lonely.”

“I'd never be mad at you,” Laxus admitted as he looked to his girlfriend. He gave her a small smile and she returned it, along with a blush on her face. “You know, you should smile and blush more often, you look beautiful when you do.” That caused Adryn's blush to deepen and her smile to widen.

“You look really good when you smile too, Laxus.”

“Shut up,” Laxus muttered as he turned his head away from her. There was a hint of pink on his face. Adryn hadn't told him something like that before, and it affected him a bit more than he thought it would. Adryn couldn't help but chuckle at him, which caused him to turn back to her and slightly glare at her without any true malice in his eyes.

“So, where do we go from here?”

“What do you mean?”

“I... I want to go further with our relationship than where we're at now, but... I just don't think I'm ready to...” Adryn looked away from Laxus as she spoke as she was clearly embarrassed due to her words.

“It's alright, Adryn. There is no rush.” Laxus stated as he guided her face back to look at him.

“I'm sure that you want to go further, and I feel bad that I'm not ready for it yet.”

“Of course I want to go further, but that can wait until you are comfortable. I wouldn't want you to feel scared or uncomfortable due to my actions.”

“You're being awfully understanding and considerate, Laxus. Are you feeling alright?” Adryn teased her boyfriend, causing him to smirk at her.

“You are the only one who gets to see me like this, so don't go around tellin' everyone.”

“Alright.” Adryn laughed and snuggled up against Laxus further.

“In all seriousness though, we will go at your pace. Besides, whether we do more things or not, I won't leave your side again. Nothing will take me away from you.” Laxus held Adryn close to him as he spoke so that she couldn't see his flushed face.

“Same here. Nothing, not even any of the Gods or Goddesses can take me away from you.” Adryn swore to Laxus who just nodded his head in return. The two then fell silent and slowly drifted back off to sleep while holding each other. They both had pleasant dreams of the future that they would remember when they woke up this time.

~

A few days later Adryn got summoned to the Magic Council to hear the verdict on Eclipse's so-called crime. Most of the members decided that due to all Ivan did to Eclipse and many other people, that Eclipse wasn't truly guilty of anything, other than killing someone who deserved death. However, there were a few members that felt that she still needed punishment for her actions no matter how right she felt they were. They felt that she had no right to take someone's life. So, they sentenced her to be locked up for a year.

“I'm... I'm going to be locked up?” Eclipse questioned in shock after the verdict was read to her.

“What?! She only killed Ivan to protect us!” Adryn yelled out instantly. Laxus, who came with her, was by her side and kept her from angrily going after someone.

“We understand that, however, a crime was still committed. Eclipse murdered someone, no matter the reason.” The councilmen spoke up glaring at the redheaded girl. To calm Adryn down, Eclipse calmed herself and turned to face her best friend.

“It'll be alright. It's only a year. I'll be out of here sooner than you think. I mean really, what can change in just a year?” Eclipse smiled at the now crying girl. Adryn calmly got up and walked to her friend before hugging her.

“I'll miss you though. We just got each other back!” Adryn cried out as Eclipse did her best to hug her back with the shackled still around her wrists.

“Do me a favor, just don't run off and get married until I'm out.” Eclipse's words caused Adryn to laugh and blush.

“Don't worry. We'll wait for you.” Laxus stated with a blush of his own on his face. That caused Eclipse to burst out into laughter, causing the man to glare at her but he quickly just smiled at her.

“It's time, Eclipse.” One of the guards spoke to her causing the best friends to break apart.

“Don't worry, like I said, what could change in a year?”

“You're right. Nothing will change.” Adryn swore to her friend as she was pulled away and out of the room. Instantly Adryn broke down and began to cry. Laxus made his way to her and wrapped his arms around her.

“Come on, let's head home. We have a new journey to go off on, right?” Laxus' mention of their journey caused Adryn to perk up. “We have to get back and get the Thunder Legion ready to head out to hunt down the rest of Raven Tail, right?”

“You're right. We need to focus on that for now.” Adryn agreed as she wiped the tears away from her eyes as she calmed down.

With that, the two lovers headed out of the building and made their way back to Fairy Tail's guildhall where they figured the Thunder Legion would be. They were correct in their assumption. Freed was chatting with Levy about some code that he came across in one of his books. Evergreen was with Elfman and Lisanna talking about Evergreen and Elfman's “not date” they went on. While Bickslow was picking on Lucy about whether she was in love with certain males in the guild or not. However, once Laxus and Adryn walked in, the Thunder Legion stopped what they were doing and flocked over to them.

“How did everything go? What was Eclipse's sentence?” Freed questioned immediately, even before the lovers made it all the way through the door.

“She has to be locked up for a year.” Adryn sadly responded with her head down.

“I am sorry that she cannot go on our journey with us.”

“I'm sure this year will fly by!” Bickslow stated with his babies repeating his last two words twice.

“Thank you, guys.” Adryn finally looked up and smiled at her friends.

“Is it time to get ready to leave?” Evergreen asked, bringing things to a more serious tone.

“Leave to go where?” The group turned to see Master Makarov standing there with Mirajane. He was the one who spoke up first.

“You all are leaving again?” Mirajane questioned before anyone could respond to the master.

“We are going to take down all of Raven Tail so they can't hurt anybody else.” Laxus simply responded as he looked at his grandfather.

“When do you think you'll come back?”

“After we have every member of Raven Tail locked up,” Adryn spoke to her other best friend.

“I don't like that you might be gone a while, but I agree that it is necessary to take down Raven Tail before they destroy any more lives.” Master Makarov finally spoke up after a moment of thought.

“Thank you, Master.” Adryn smiled at the short man.

“You're family now child, call me 'Gramps'.”

“It's not like they are married yet.” Evergreen stated causing Adryn to blush.

“What do you mean 'yet'?” Adryn questioned as she looked to her friend.

“It's obvious that you two will end up married one day.”

“Ever, stop teasing Adryn,” Freed spoke up before the girl could say anything else that would cause Adryn to blush.

“It's not teasing if she's telling the truth.” Bickslow spoke up as he chuckled with his babies repeating “truth” a few times. Adryn then blushed deeper at that, causing Bickslow to chuckle more and for Evergreen to join in with him.

“Okay, let's stop making me embarrassed,” Adryn spoke, trying to calm her friends down. The two were about to say something more, but a glare from Laxus stopped them.

“We should get going,” Laxus stated guiding the conversation back to the topic at hand.

“Be safe,” Mirajane spoke to Adryn as she pulled her into a hug. The two girls shared a goodbye as Laxus said goodbye to his grandfather.

“Don't worry, Mira. I'm sure things will go well.”

“Just be safe,” Mirajane repeats as she smiles at her friend.

“I will,” Adryn responded with a smile on her own face. With that, the Thunder Legion, Laxus and Adryn head to their homes to get ready for the trip. Each of them packed a single bag with some clothing and other necessities. They all met back up at Laxus and Adryn's apartment to discuss where exactly they would be going.

“So, does anyone have any leads?” Adryn questioned as they at on the couches in the living room.

“I heard that there was a group of Raven Tail members in a town a few days away. They are trying to start an uprising and take over the town.” Freed explains after a moment of thought.

“Then that's where we should go,” Adryn stated instantly as she stood up.

“That's a lot of train rides,” Freed spoke up, causing Adryn to frown and sit back down.

“Fuck,” Adryn muttered as she looked to the ground.

“It'll be alright. I think I have come up with a potion to fight against motion sickness.”

“Really? Can we try it?”

“It may cause some... interesting side effects,” Freed spoke hesitantly.

“What kind of side effects?” Laxus questioned curiously. He was a bit worried but he wouldn't admit that.

“I'm worried,” Adryn admitted for the two of them.

“You could hallucinate.” Freed simply stated worrying the dragon slayers further.

“Oh. Well, that's not that bad. Right?” Adryn spoke up hopefully.

“You could see things like demons and other creatures that aren't really there.”

“Oh, that's wonderful. I'll take the motion sickness.” Adryn immediately spoke up causing Freed to frown.

“I apologize,” Freed responded to the girl.

“I think I'll pass too,” Laxus stated after he thought about it for a moment.

“I will work hard to make a side effect-less potion for motion sickness.”

“Thank you though, Freed. I appreciate your hard work.” Adryn smiled at her friend, causing him to smile back.

“Why don't you two stop flirting and let's head out,” Laxus grumbled as he looked between his girlfriend and friend. That caused Adryn to chuckle and lean against him.

“Come on, Laxus. Don't be bitter. I promise I won't flirt with anyone but you... I don't even think I know how to flirt, to begin with though.” Adryn's end comment made them all chuckle at her.

“Either way, we should get going before the train arrives and leaves without us.” Freed finally spoke up once everyone calmed down from their laughter. So, with that, the five of them grabbed their bags and headed to the train station to head off to the town they needed to head to. It would take a few days and a couple of trains to get there, so they were going to stay the night at an inn in a town about a quarter of the way there.

“How long until we get there?” Adryn muttered as she laid her head down on Laxus' shoulder, trying to not get sick. The man she was laying on was sleeping or at least trying to sleep.

“It'll take until tonight to get to our stop,” Freed responded as he watched the girl turn slightly green. He suddenly worried about his well being as he was seated across from the dragon slayer couple. Bickslow sat next to him but was chatting with Evergreen who was in the next seat over so neither of them noticed the girl getting sick.

“Lovely,” Adryn responded sadly as she closed her eyes but then they shot back open. “Closing my eyes makes it worse. Do you have that potion on you?”

“I do, why?”

“Give it to me. Now please.”

“That's a bad idea,” Laxus muttered while his eyes were still closed.

“I'm going to puke on you if I don't get rid of this motion sickness!” Adryn snapped back before turning green again. Laxus opened his eyes to see her and frowned.

“Freed, hurry with the potion.” Laxus immediately stated. The green-haired man hurriedly pulled out the potion from his bag and handed it to Adryn. The bottle itself was clear, revealing a toxic looking green color of potion within it.

“Drink half of it,” Freed instructed as Adryn opened the bottle up. She followed his instructions and drank only half of the bottle or at least what she thought was half, but it probably was a little less than half. She then closed the bottle and handed it back to Freed. It thankfully didn't taste as dangerous as it looked. It was just a mildly disgusting flavor that left a terrible aftertaste in Adryn's mouth.

“How long until I start hallucinating?”

“It should take a couple of minutes for the potion to take effect and the hallucinations to start. It just depends on how quickly it moves through your body.” Freed simply explained as Adryn nodded her head.

“How long will they last?”

“The potion will work for about 4 hours, but the hallucinations won't last nearly as long as the potion's effects will. The hallucinations should calm down about an hour or two after they start.”

“Lovely,” Adryn muttered as she sighed. She then felt something at her hand and looked down to see that Laxus had reached out and held her hand. “Laxus?”

“I'll protect you from whatever you might see,” Laxus stated as he looked to his girlfriend. She just smiled and nodded her head.

“Thank you.”

“How are you supposed to protect her from something you won't be able to see?” Evergreen questioned joining in on the conversation. Apparently, she and Bickslow had begun to pay attention to the others when Adryn drank the potion.

“I believe Laxus meant that he'd be there for more support than anything,” Freed explained simply as Laxus paused to think about how exactly to answer Evergreen.

“I want to know everything that you see while you are hallucinating,” Laxus spoke to Adryn who just nodded her head in response.

“Oh!” Freed's outburst caused the group to jolt and look to him. “I nearly forgot, with the hallucinations, you may hear them speak to you. They will be real enough that you may also feel them, should they touch you. However, you need to remember that it is all the work of a potion and that it isn't truly real.”

“Oh, great. That's just fucking wonderful.” Adryn sighed yet again and tightened her grip on Laxus' hand. “I get the feeling I'm in for a wild ride... Wait, I don't feel motion sick anymore. Does that mean the potion is wor-” Adryn was going to finish her question but she began to see something behind Freed that wasn't there before. “Oh... Yeah, no, it's taken effect.”


	9. Hallucinations

Adryn had begun to hallucinate from the potion that Freed had given her. At first, all she could see was something gray behind Freed, but then it continued to crawl up the side of the interior of the train until it reached the ceiling.

“What do you see?” Laxus instantly questioned as he watched Adryn's eyes grow wide as she looked to the ceiling of the train car.

“I see something weird.” Adryn simply responded, causing Laxus to frown.

“Can you be more specific?” Freed asked before Laxus could.

“Yeah, sure. I see this gray thing that is a little smaller than a normal human. It has long fingers and long toes. It is crawling on all fours and is just staring at me with a smile on its face. It has super sharp teeth and glowing red eyes with no pupil or whites, just all red eyes.”

“Has it spoken to you yet?” Adryn was about to tell Freed that no, it hasn't spoken when it's smile turned to a frown and it opened it's mouth back up to being speaking to Adryn.

“You, worthless girl. You can see and hear me now?” The demon's voice was growly and raspy. It wasn't too deep of a voice, but it still sent shivers through Adryn's body.

“Um, yeah, I can see and hear you,” Adryn responded as she just stared at the demon who then smirked at her words.

“Good.”

“What is it saying?” Evergreen demanded immediately.

“Uh, it asked me if I could see and hear it, so after what I responded, it said 'good'.”

“That's creepy,” Bickslow stated with his babies repeating his words.

“Now, you will listen to what I have to say, alright worthless girl?” The demon began once again as he glared down at Adryn.

“Can you stop calling me 'worthless girl'? It's really rude.” Adryn snapped back at the demon who seemed actually surprised that she spoke back to it.

“Shut up!” A voice from behind Adryn yelled, causing her to jolt. She turned to see another demon just colored red with green eyes instead. It was hanging onto a window while inside the train car. “You are a worthless girl, so you will be called that.”

“What's going on now?” Laxus asked before the demons could speak up again.

“There's another one. This time it's red with green eyes. It's an asshole.”

“Be silent, you bitch!” The red demon snapped as it crawled closer to Adryn.

“It called me a bitch.”

“Listen to me, worthless girl.” Adryn turned her attention back to the gray demon with red eyes. “You are a terrible person. You have killed people, innocent people. You deserve to die a terrible death, like the one you gave to Ivan.”

“That's just something incredibly rude to say to me,” Adryn grumbled as she frowned and looked to the ground.

“What's going on?” Freed questioned to which Adryn informed them of what the demon was saying to her.

“That really is rude.” Evergreen stated a little upset that her friend was being told something so bad.

“You don't deserve Laxus.” The red demon spoke up, causing Adryn to turn to look at it again.

“What do you mean?” Adryn questioned in confusion.

“He is a much better person than you are.”

“Wow, guys, you just love being assholes, don't you?”

“What are they saying now?” Laxus asked as he watched his girlfriend frown.

“They told me that you are a better person than me, which wasn't all that wrong, but they also said that I don't deserve you.”

“You should kill yourself.” Another voice stated as a green demon with blue eyes crawled over the seat and sat on Freed's shoulders.

“How about you get off Freed, you creep.”

“There's a demon on me?” Freed's tone was slightly concerned but also curious. “What does it look like?”

“It's a dark green with... actually quite beautiful blue eyes.”

“Has it said anything to you?”

“Yeah, it told me to kill myself.”

“Kill yourself! Kill yourself! Kill yourself!” The demons began to chant as they began to crawl all around the group, sometimes crawling on someone.

“Okay, guys, I'm not going to kill myself. So how about you just calm your asses down!” Adryn snapped as she just watched them go around them over and over again all the while telling her to kill herself. After she spoke, they all froze and snapped their heads to look at her.

“Then... How about we kill you!” They all spoke in unison as they began to quickly crawl towards Adryn. She began to panic and let out a little scream as they reached out to grab her.

“Stop it!” Adryn yelled out immediately, which caused the demons to stop just short of touching her.

“What's going on?!” Laxus questioned now completely worried about his girlfriend. However, Adryn ignored him as the demons began to speak again.

“Come on, we're just having a little fun.” The gray demon spoke with a laugh.

“Yeah, don't ruin our fun.” The green demon stated as it laughed as well.

“Yeah... We just want to rip you apart and devour you!” The red one yelled out which caused Adryn to let out a gasp as it finally touched her. The red demon grabbed her arm and pulled it away from Laxus, effectively separating their hands.

“Um, how about you don't!” Adryn yanked her arm back from the demon, causing the demon to frown.

“What's going on?!” Laxus demanded this time.

“They want to eat me. The red one touched me and pulled my arm away from you.”

“Freed, do something!” Laxus nearly yelled at his friend.

“The potion will wear off in a while, we can't do anything until then,” Freed responded in a worried tone. “Just remember, what you are seeing, feeling and hearing are not real.” Freed addressed Adryn who just shook her head.

“We are real. We live inside you.” The demons stated at the same time.

“They told me they live in me and are real!” Adryn spoke up now beginning to panic further. Freed began to say something but he was drowned out by the extremely loud laughter the demons suddenly began to produce. It slowly began to get louder and louder until everything was drowned out by them.

“Okay! Stop it please!” Adryn cried out as she put her hands over her ears and shut her eyes. “This isn't real... This isn't real... This isn't-”

“We will always be with you.” One of the demons whispered through the laughter, and then there was nothing.

“Adryn!” The next thing Adryn heard was Laxus' worried voice right in her ear. She slowly put her hands down and opened her eyes. She looked around to see nothing at all.

“Adryn?” Freed questioned also in a worried tone.

“They... are gone?” Adryn hesitantly spoke up finally after a moment of looking around her just to make sure.

“What just happened?!” Laxus was still in worry mode, which was kind of strange to see him like that, but it was also cute. Adryn caught her breath and calmed down before explaining to them what just happened to her.

“That doesn't sound fun.” Evergreen simply stated after Adryn was done with her explanation. That caused Adryn to chuckle.

“Yeah, no it wasn't fun.” Adryn agreed with a smile on her face. Even though she was smiling, she was still feeling a little uneasy. “Can I just go to sleep? I think I need to rest after that ordeal.”

“You can lean against me,” Laxus informed his girlfriend. He figured he would say it since Adryn was going to do that anyway.

“Thank you,” Adryn muttered as she leaned against Laxus. She held onto his arm and quickly drifted off to sleep, showing just how mentally exhausted she was. She didn't stir the rest of the train ride until it was time for them to get off at the last stop for the day.

“Adryn, it's time to wake up.” Laxus gently shook his girlfriend until she slowly opened her eyes.

“Are we there?” Adryn muttered softly, as she pulled herself up to a normal seated position and released Laxus' arm.

“We are,” Freed responded instead of Laxus. Adryn slowly looked over at him and frowned.

“You really need to work on your potion's side effects. Those demons were in my dreams.” Adryn was clearly not happy about that fact.

“I apologize. I will work hard to make a motion sickness potion without such side effects next time.” Adryn just nodded her head and watched as Laxus stood up. The train was no longer moving and people were exiting the train. So, Adryn stood up as well, but her legs felt like jelly and she nearly fell over. If it wasn't for Laxus reaching out to grab her she would have fallen.

“Are you alright?” Laxus questioned as he watched his girlfriend try to straighten out with shaky legs.

“I'll be alright,” Adryn responded simply as she held onto Laxus to keep herself standing. Once she was able to move properly, she grabbed her bag and followed the others off the train with their own bags in hand.

“So, we are only about halfway to the halfway point. We will stay in an inn tonight and start back up tomorrow morning. It should take us about four days to get there.” Freed informed the group once they were off the train and standing in the train station.

“Let's get to our inn. I'm tired.” Adryn muttered as he leaned against Laxus. Freed nodded his head and began to guide the group to a nearby inn. They rented three rooms. One for Laxus and Adryn, one for Freed and Bickslow and then one for Evergreen. Once everything was paid for they said their goodnights and headed to their rooms.

“How are you feeling?” Laxus asked Adryn as the two of them began to get ready for bed. Adryn paused in pulling out a nightgown to look over at Laxus.

“I... I'm alright.” Adryn responded even though she knew that Laxus wouldn't believe that.

“Want to talk about it?”

“You know, you've changed a little bit. You are a lot more caring than I originally thought you were.” Adryn then turned back to her bag and continued pulling out her blue nightgown.

“You're avoiding the topic, aren't you? Do you just not want to talk about it?” When Adryn didn't respond Laxus just nodded his head. “You've changed me.”

“Is that a good thing, or bad thing?”

“I'd say it's both.” Laxus' words caused Adryn to turn back around to look at him with confusion on her face.

“How come?”

“You made me a better man, but if anyone tried to take you from me again, I might just kill them.” Adryn couldn't help but smile at that, even though she knew that she probably shouldn't be happy about the last part.

“I feel the same,” Adryn admitted to her boyfriend, who just smiled in return. “I'm sure that we won't face those types of problems now that Ivan's gone.”

“We can never be too sure,” Laxus stated as he grabbed his sleep pants and went into the bathroom to change. While he changed in there, Adryn changed in their room. Soon enough, both of them were ready for bed and climbing into the bed. It was a little bigger than the one Laxus had which made him make a mental note to get a bigger bed for the two of them. The couple decided that they were too tired for any snuggling and went right to sleep.

~

The next day, the pair were awoken by Freed knocking at their door. It seems that the two dragon slayers had slept in a bit too long.

“Yeah, yeah, I'm coming,” Laxus muttered as he climbed out of bed to get to the door.

“Good morning, Laxus,” Freed stated when Laxus opened the door for him.

“What's so good about it?” That caused Adryn to chuckle from their bed. Laxus was hardly awake and honestly just wanted more sleep, rather than to get on another train.

“I apologize, Laxus, but we need to get going.”

“Yeah, I know. We'll get ready and meet you down in the entrance.” With that, Laxus closed the door and moved to his bag to get out fresh clothes for the new day. Meanwhile, Adryn did the same thing and pulled out the exact type of outfit she wore yesterday. “Do you only own shorts and tank tops?” Laxus just had to ask as it was a burning question in his mind. He only ever saw the girl wear such an outfit, and he didn't see anything else in her clothes that she'd brought over to his home.

“...Yes...” Adryn hesitantly responded as she guiltily looked over to her boyfriend.

“Why?”

“I guess I just don't like wearing anything else. Ivan always made me wear pants and a long-sleeved shirt or a dress, so to change from that, I decided to wear this and it just stuck with me all these years.” To that, Laxus just nodded his head in understanding. “Also, before you ask, I wear my cloak every day because I don't like being looked at, and I just like the comfort of it around me. It's like a protector.”

“I can understand that.” Laxus, of course, could due to his coat that he wore every day and everywhere. Adryn figured he'd wear it to their wedding if he could. This then caused her to pause as she was thinking about a wedding between her and Laxus. She had to shake her head to get the thought out before she began to blush noticeably, but Laxus noticed it already. “You alright?”

“I'm good!” Adryn quickly replied before snatching up her clothes and running into the bathroom frantically. Laxus just stared after her and figured she'd thought of something that caused her to freak out. He wouldn't push it.

Eventually, both were ready and met up with the Thunder Legion in the entrance of the inn. They quickly headed over to the train station and got on the train, for yet another full day of traveling. Both Laxus and Adryn just forced themselves to sleep the day away. They woke up some and felt sick but distracted themselves by chatting with the Thunder Legion. Adryn wasn't about to drink any more of that potion as she was terrified that the demons would return.

Thankfully, the next few days passed by quickly and they finally arrived in the town of their destination. Once there, Freed guided them to where he had heard about where the Raven Tail members were staying. It was like every member of Raven Tail planned to live in the forest surrounding towns, because that's exactly where they were, again.

“I'll go in first,” Laxus stated before kicking down the door. The Raven Tail members were shocked and took a second to attack, but soon it was a full out battle. Quickly though, the fight was over with Laxus and Adryn attacking the men and women together. They took everyone out together, nearly within 5 minutes.

“Damn. You two are such a power couple.” Bickslow stated with his babies echoing, “Power couple! Power couple!”

“Yeah, yeah, just help us tie them up, and Ever, call the Magic Council.” Adryn requested as she and Laxus pulled out some rope from her bag that she'd been carrying.

“Why do you bring some rope around with you?” Freed asked the question they all were wondering.

“Just in case.”

“In case of what? This type of situation, or for something else?” Evergreen demanded a little worried.

“Yes.” Adryn cryptically responded confusing the group further. They pushed their worry for her out of their minds and began to tie up the Raven Tail members while Evergreen got the Magic Council to come to them. Thankfully, they had a headquarters set up in a town nearby and they could be there within the day. The group stayed with the members for a few hours until the Magic Council got there. As the members were being loaded into the transport vehicle the Magic Council brought, one man resisted and just looked over to Adryn.

“You better watch out, girl, or else your past is going to come back and bite you in the ass.” The man spoke to Adryn harshly before he was shoved into the vehicle.

“Um, what the fuck was that about?” Adryn questioned as she looked to her friends. They didn't know what it was about either, so no one said anything, other than Laxus.

“Who cares, nothing will get to you while we're me here,” Laxus stated confidently. He took a hold of Adryn's hand and held it tightly, causing the girl to smile up at him.

“Thank you, Laxus,” Adryn responded as a man from the Magic Council approached the group.

“Thank you for capturing these criminals. The next town over has a man there claiming to be part of Raven Tail and he is causing some problems. If you are interested, can you go get him as well?” The man asked the group, who instantly agreed.

“Of course, we would be glad to help,” Adryn responded with a smile.

“Thank you.” The man then returned to the vehicle and they drove off into the distance.

“Well, let's head to the town next to this one. It shouldn't take too long to walk there.” Freed stated after the Magic Council had disappeared.

“Oh, thank god. We don't have to take a train?” Adryn was relieved at that. Secretly, so was Laxus.

“We can walk this time,” Freed responded simply. So, with that, the group headed off to the next town. A few hours of walking and a couple of breaks later, the group reached the town. They walked around the town to see not many people out on the streets. The few that were out warned the group to get to an inn soon or else someone would come after them.

“Can you point us in the direction of that man who is causing the problems?” Freed questioned to an older woman who was just sitting on her steps.

“Just wait, he'll show up.” The old woman stated before standing up and going inside of her home. As the day started to grow dark, the group was about ready to give up and head to an inn. However, they turned on a road that would lead to an inn and saw a man at the end of the road just standing there looking at them.

“I think he's shown up,” Adryn commented as she watched the man slowly walk over to the group.

“Hello, Adryn. We have never met, but I know of you. Ivan had told me many stories about you.” The man stated once he was close enough to the group.

“Who are you?”

“It doesn't matter.” The man then pulled out a sword and got ready to attack the group. In return, Adryn, Laxus, and the Thunder Legion got ready to fight. “Adryn, are you ready to die?”

“No,” Adryn replied instantly. Her eyes began to glow and she began to cause the man severe pain. He, however, just smiled at Adryn and began to slowly walk towards her as if he wasn't affected at all.

“Stand back, we got this!” Bickslow stated as the Thunder Legion stepped in front of Laxus and Adryn. The three of them began to fight the man but were knocked away by an invisible force that emitted from the man.

“We will fight together!” Adryn declared as she helped Evergreen up to her feet. Laxus helped up Freed as Bickslow stood up by himself, feeling a little left out due to no one helping him up.

So, the group began to fight the man all together. Adryn and Laxus used their dragon slayer magic while the others used a mix of their main magic and their secondary magic. It took them all attacking at once to take the man down. The man then laid on the ground, slowly losing consciousness. However, he began to laugh like a maniac.

“What are you laughing about?!” Adryn demanded angrily as she approached the man with the others.

“Our new master will come and take you all out for interfering in our plans!” The man yelled out as the darkness consumed him and he fell into unconsciousness.

“New master?!” Adryn then grabbed the man and began to shake him. “Wake up and tell me what the fuck you mean!”

“Adryn, he's out and won't be waking up any time soon,” Laxus stated to the girl as he pulled her away from the unconscious man.

“There is a new master for Raven Tail? That cannot be good.” Freed muttered mostly to himself.

“Why won't Raven Tail just go down and stay down?!” Adryn was clearly distraught over the situation. “Why would Raven Tail get a new master? Who could be as bad as Ivan to become their new master?”

“I'm worried too, but let's get to an inn. The night is rapidly approaching.” Freed mentioned causing the group to notice how dark it had gotten. Adryn calmed down slightly and nodded her head. Laxus and Adryn walked behind the Thunder Legion as they walked on the road leading to the inn. Once there, Freed got them rooms and they all said goodnight before going off to their own rooms.

“Have you calmed down?” Laxus questioned as he hesitantly looked over to his girlfriend. Adryn sighed and nodded her head.

“I'm sorry that I freaked out.” Adryn guiltily spoke up as she sat on their bed. Laxus sat next to her and shook his head.

“Your reaction was understandable,” Laxus stated as he pulled Adryn against him. Adryn leaned her head against Laxus' shoulder and sighed.

“I have a bad feeling that things are about to get crazy.”

ba

“I'll-”

“You'll protect me, I know, Laxus. I just can't help but be worried. It's just a terrible feeling that's inside me right now.”

“We'll be fine, as long as we stay together. All of us.” Laxus was trying to be uplifting and help the girl feel better, but it didn't help. That bad feeling remained in Adryn, but she just forced a smile and snuggled against Laxus.

“Thank you for being here for me.” With that, the two kissed quickly and then got ready for bed. They slept holding onto each other that night, however, that wasn't enough for Adryn's bad feeling to dissipate. The bad feeling bled into her dreams and caused her to have a dream where she was falling backward into darkness. It caused her to awake with a jolt, nearly waking Laxus as well. However, Adryn just snuggled closer to Laxus and fell back to sleep, a dreamless sleep this time.


	10. Shock

The next morning, Laxus and Adryn are awoken by frantic knocking. Once they made it to the door, Freed nearly burst in.

“We just got word that there is an attack going on in the town right next to this one. We need to leave immediately.” Freed spoke too quickly, causing the couple to take a moment to comprehend what he was saying.

“Alright. We'll meet you at the entrance.” Laxus stated as he was already on the move to get ready. Freed nodded his head and left the room, closing the door behind him. They all got ready as fast as they could and met up at the entrance of the inn. They hurried off to the next town over which didn't take long. However, once they got into the town, they all were hit with bad feelings.

“Where are all the people?” Adryn questioned, a little horrified. There were absolutely no man or woman on the streets. No children and no animals. There wasn't even any noise.

“There is something seriously wrong here.” Bickslow muttered to the group with his babies saying, “Wrong here! Wrong here!”

“You're right, there is something wrong. We need to leave.” Laxus spoke up as he pulled Adryn closer to him. She looked up at him confused, but then realized what he was meaning. Both of the dragon slayers could smell that many people were surrounding them.

“We need to leave now,” Adryn stated as she addressed her friends. However, just as they went to turn to leave, the people came out of their hiding places. There were about 50 of them and they all had various weapons. They all gave the appearance that they were strong, and the group could feel that the 50 people were actually strong members of Raven Tail. Their guild marks were all clearly visible on various places on their bodies. “Fuck!” Adryn snapped as they all gathered around them.

“We mean you no harm unless you try to fight us.” A woman finally spoke up from behind Adryn and Laxus. They turned to see her and she was just smiling at them. “Our master just wants to talk to you. However, if you fight us, you will lose and we will be forced to take you to Master unconscious or in a few of your cases, dead.” The Thunder Legion, Adryn and Laxus looked to each other for a moment before Freed spoke up.

“We won't fight. Just take us to your master.” The green-haired man said in a defeated tone.

“Smart choice.” The woman spoke with a chuckle. “Come this way.” She then motioned with her hands for the group to follow her. They were led to a decent sized house in the middle of town. Once at the house, they entered it and were led to an empty room that had no furniture at all in it. After they were in the room, the woman turned to leave the room. “Stay here. Master will be here shortly.” With that, the woman was gone and the 5 of them were alone in the room together.

“What do you think is going to happen to us?” Evergreen asked in a worried tone as she looked around the blank and empty room.

“I don't know, but I know someone is coming,” Laxus replied as he turned to the door. “I can't smell them, but I hear their footsteps.”

“That's weird, I can't smell them either,” Adryn stated as she turned to the door as well. The door began to open and Adryn's heart began to sink. Adryn was in a position that she could clearly see the door as it opened, and the person opening the door nearly caused Adryn's legs to give out. “Oh my god,” Adryn muttered to herself as the door opened fully.

“Hey, Adryn. It's been a long time.” It was a woman, a few inches taller than Adryn was, but it was obvious that she was a few years younger than Adryn. She had lilac hair that was wavy and reached her shoulders. Her eyes were a beautiful crystal blue color. She was wearing a light blue tank top and dark blue pants. There was a Raven Tail guild mark on her left shoulder. She had a huge smile on her face as she fully faced Adryn, who was on the verge of having a panic attack. “You look like you've seen a ghost.” The girl teased as she fully entered the room with two men standing at the doorway behind her.

“Adryn?” Laxus looked to his girlfriend who now had gone pale and was shaking.

“Nova?” Adryn questioned finally in a quiet and confused voice. Laxus and the Thunder Legion knew that name. They recognized it as the little sister of Eclipse and Adryn's first lover.

“It's alright, Adryn. I'm real. I'm actually here. You don't need to panic.” Nova stated with a smile on her face still. She was speaking with such a sweet and calming voice, but there was such hate in her eyes that it confused Adryn.

“You're dead. You can't be here.”

“My sister was dead too, but she came back, right? Why can't I?” Nova then took a few steps closer to Adryn and patted her shoulder comfortingly before turning to face the others in the room who were extremely confused. “Hello, Laxus, Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen. My name is Nova Oracle. I am Eclipse's younger sister and Adryn's very first lover. Though by now I'm sure you've figured that out.”

“How... How are you here? You... Eclipse said she killed you...” Adryn was breathing heavily and quickly, which essentially meant that she was hyperventilating now. Nova turned to Adryn and frowned.

“You need to calm down. You didn't react like this when Eclipse appeared again, did you?” Nova then smiled again and faced the others. “I'm sure you all are wondering how a dead girl is alive, so I'll tell you. The memories of my sister killing me were false. Those memories were planted into her mind via my telepathic abilities so that I could go underground and hide for some years. I needed to be able to move freely and being attached to Eclipse and Adryn was holding me back.”

“You must be mind-controlled like Eclipse was. You... you aren't yourself.” Nova then turned back to Adryn with a deeper frown on her face.

“What would you know?” Nova snapped, causing Adryn to jolt and take a step away from the lilac-haired girl. “You never cared to know the real me. You only wanted me to be this princess to protect. You didn't care about how I felt or anything!” Nova then took a second to calm herself before a smile appeared on her face again. “I apologize that you had to see such a side of me. To answer your statement, I am not being controlled at all. If anyone was controlling me, it was you and Eclipse before my 'death'.”

“So, you have turned against Adryn and Eclipse?” Freed questioned from behind Laxus.

“I have,” Nova responded as she continued to stare at Adryn. The redhead was now staring at the ground. So many thoughts were flying through her mind. She couldn't comprehend anything that was going on currently, so her thoughts were a bit incoherent. “Adryn?”

“Why? Why are you like this? What happened?” Adryn finally looked up to Nova with a pained look on her face. Nova just smiled softly at the girl and approached her slowly.

“I truly loved you when we were kids, Adryn. Then everything happened with Ivan, and he began to dote on you and treated you like you were better than us. You always were his favorite, no matter how much you acted out in the beginning. It's why I had the idea to trick you into being his puppet.” Those words caused shock to overwrite the pain on Adryn's face. “He always gave you more attention. It hurt. However, what hurt more was Ivan's death. I was incredibly saddened when I heard that he died.”

“Why were you sad to hear that the monster that killed our families was dead?!” Adryn was finally coming out of the initial shock that she had been suffering. Anger was filling her now. Even so, Nova just continued to smile.

“I will be taking revenge for his death. Starting with you.”

“Wha-” Before Adryn could fully ask her question, Nova pulled out a knife and stabbed Adryn, right in the abdomen.

“Adryn!” Laxus and the Thunder Legion cried out in shock at seeing the girl stabbed.

“I never wanted to hurt you, but you took him from me.” Nova then pulled the knife out and simply walked out of the room, with the door closing and locking behind her.

“Adryn!” Laxus was at the girl's side within an instant after his shock wore off. He caught her as she lost her balance and began to fall. He watched as blood began to pour out of the wound in her abdomen.

“That looks bad, we need to get her to a doctor,” Evergreen stated as she and the other men approached the two dragon slayers.

“Get the door open!” Laxus demanded as he put a hand over Adryn's wound. Freed nodded his head and went to open the door, but it was locked with runes.

“It's going to take me a few minutes to undo these runes.” Freed informed the man to which Laxus just growled. Freed got working on the runes as Bickslow and Evergreen came to Laxus' side. Bickslow tore off a part of his clothing and had Laxus put it over Adryn's wound to try to stop the bleeding. However, her blood soon was flowing through the cloth.

“I... I can't believe that... that is Nova...” Adryn mumbled to herself as she laid in Laxus' arms.

“She's going into shock if she wasn't already,” Evergreen spoke to Laxus as he tightened his grip on the redhead.

“I can't... I fucking can't believe she stabbed me!” Adryn snapped causing her to wince in pain.

“You need to remain calm,” Bickslow told the girl. His babies didn't say anything this time causing Adryn to frown.

“You know, as annoying as your babies are, I don't like not hearing them talk. It's like something wrong... I mean something is wrong but... where was I going with this...”

“This is bad. Freed, do you have the runes undone yet?!” Laxus turned slightly to look at Freed who was deep in the runes and was rewriting them quickly.

“Just a moment,” Freed muttered as he finished writing something with a flick of his wrist. The runes then came down and Freed was able to open the door. Laxus already had Adryn picked up and held safely in his arms bridal style. “This way.” Freed began to walk quickly through the hallways that he remembered being taken through. It was a short, but tense walk to the door leading outside the house. Every corner they turned, they expected someone to be there to stop them. However, no one was there to stop them. Everyone was gone from the building.

“You all are panicking. I won't die from this.” Adryn muttered as they all hurried out of the house.

“Hush. We're getting you to a doctor. They will decide if you will die from this or not, though we all hope you won't.” Laxus was surprisingly gentle with his tone towards Adryn. It caused the girl to smile at him.

“Yeah, a doctor sounds good. I don't... I don't feel too good...”

“You were stabbed, of course, you aren't going to feel too good!” Evergreen snapped at the girl who just smiled in return. She was slowly slipping away but she was holding onto her consciousness. Adryn knew that things would get really bad if she succumbed to the darkness. “Laxus, keep her talking, don't let her fall asleep!”

“It's alright, I know I shouldn't sleep now,” Adryn muttered as she kept forcing her eyes to open. She picked her head up to look at her wound and she nearly passed out then. She wasn't good with blood, so she had no idea why she decided to look at it. “Okay, I'm not that smart...”

“What are you talking about? You're the second smartest of us.” Laxus stated causing Adryn to frown.

“I guess it's Freed who is smarter than me?”

“You don't sound too happy about that.”

“I wanted to be the smartest...” Adryn whispered though she knew she didn't really mean that. She then shook her head and sighed. “Wow...I'm fading a lot faster than I thought I would.”

“You're losing blood at a rapid rate. The knife might have hit something important.” Freed explained simply but worriedly. “Bickslow and I will go ahead and find a doctor, you two keep Adryn awake and alert.” Freed addressed Laxus and Evergreen who instantly agreed. The two men then took off in different directions trying to search for anybody to direct them to a doctor.

“Adryn, keep talking. You need to stay awake.” Evergreen spoke up to the girl. Adryn just frowned and looked to Evergreen.

“I know that... What the fuck am I supposed to talk about?” Adryn was a little irritated at her friend.

“Anything. Everything that comes to mind.” Laxus demanded causing Adryn to smile up at him.

“You're really attractive, but I know you know that,” Adryn spoke up before shaking her head again. “I just said that out loud, didn't I?”

“You did,” Evergreen stated, smiling at her friend. However, Adryn ignored Evergreen and continued staring at Laxus.

“I want a cat. Mostly all the other dragon slayers have cats, don't they? I want one too.”

“I'll get you as many cats as you want, as long as you don't die,” Laxus said forcing a smile at Adryn. She frowned at his fake smile and lifted her hand to touch his cheek.

“You shouldn't fake a smile, a real one looks better on you. Then again, you are attractive no matter what your expression is. I bet you're even cute when you're mad.”

“You're being ridiculous because of the blood loss.” Evergreen butted in before Laxus could respond to Adryn's embarrassing comment.

“Maybe so,” Adryn spoke with a smile on her face as she kept her eyes on Laxus' face. “I can't help it. The blood loss has made me all messed up. Though, I'm telling the truth that I know I wouldn't normally say.”

“If you're aware, maybe you should stop.”

“No. I like seeing this look on Laxus' face.” Evergreen then looked to Laxus to see his cheeks slightly red. He was trying to fight the embarrassment that was caused by Adryn's words. “He's adorable, isn't he... Then again, you probably only think that... someone else is adorable, don't you? Though you won't admit it.”

“You're a brat, you know that?” Evergreen's words weren't harsh at all, and they actually caused Adryn to chuckle, when then caused her to hiss in pain.

“That hurt. Don't make me laugh.” Adryn then frowned again. “You haven't said anything in a while, Laxus. What's on your mind?” Laxus opened his mouth to respond, but Freed's voice cut in and stopped Laxus.

“We found a doctor!” Freed nearly yelled as he and Bickslow, plus his babies hurriedly approached the three of them. There was a man behind them not moving as fast, as he was a little on the old side.

“Set her down, let me see her wound.” The doctor demanded as soon as he got close to them. Laxus did as the man said and set Adryn carefully on the ground. By now, Laxus was covered in Adryn's blood. The front of his shirt was bloody and his hand that was holding the cloth to her wound was also covered in blood. “The wound isn't that deep, but it hit something which is causing all this blood. If I don't stop all this bleeding soon, she will die.”

“Well do something then!” Laxus snapped at the man, who just ignored Laxus and continued his assessment of Adryn.

“Calm down, Laxus. She's in good hands now.” Freed was trying to help, but Laxus only glared at him in return, making Freed frown.

“I have the strongest healing magic in this town. I believe it's luck that you came across me. Only I would be able to heal such a wound of this caliber.” The doctor stated as he placed his hands over Adryn's wound. “I won't be able to heal it completely, meaning there will be a scar left behind.”

“I don't care, just heal me...” Adryn muttered as she tried to peek at what the doctor was doing. He seemed to be caught off guard a bit.

“How are you still conscious?”

“My will is strong, I guess.” Adryn caught a glimpse of all the blood and laid her hand back down feeling sick. “How much blood have I lost?”

“Enough that you should be dying. Though, you are a dragon slayer, so I'm sure your sturdier than most people are.” That caused Adryn to smile, but it quickly faded as the pain began in her abdomen.

“You're hurting her,” Laxus stated angrily.

“I have to heal her. It will cause some pain as the internal parts begin to reconnect and as the tissue begins to stretch and close back up.”

“That's gross. I don't need to know how this works.” Adryn mumbled through the grimace on her face. The doctor chuckled at Adryn's words and continued to heal her. After a couple of minutes, the doctor took his hands away from her wound to show a scar there, but otherwise, everything looked normal, just covered in blood.

“She needs rest tonight. Tomorrow, after a meal or two, she should be fine.” As the doctor spoke, he stood up. He then brushed the dirt off himself as he'd been kneeling on the ground.

“Speaking of food, I don't remember the last time we actually ate,” Evergreen muttered mostly to herself. The doctor frowned though and turned to Freed and Laxus. He clearly saw those two as their leaders.

“You all need to take better care of yourselves. I don't want to have to heal anyone else today. This drained me completely.”

“How could we repay you? How much-” Freed was cut off by the doctor raising a hand.

“Just get this girl to some good food and have a good night's rest. That's how you can repay me. I don't want to have to see you all again while you stay in our town.”

“Thank you,” Adryn spoke as she slowly sat up. Evergreen and Bickslow were at her side in a moment and helped her sit up all the way. “I really appreciate your help.”

“Of course. It's my job to save people's lives.” The doctor then waved to the others and headed down the road back to wherever Freed and Bickslow found him.

“How did you come across him anyway?” Evergreen questioned to Freed and Bickslow.

“Well, really he found us.” Freed began causing Evergreen to look at him confused. “Bickslow and I met back up, only for the doctor to come out of a house and ask if we needed help.”

“That's... suspicious...” Adryn mumbled as Laxus picked her back up. “You know I can walk, right?”

“You were just close to death, let me carry you,” Laxus spoke with a tone that told Adryn that there was no negotiation at all allowed. The girl just sighed and snuggled into his arms comfortably.

“Adryn is right though. Now that I think about it, that was suspicious.” Bickslow stated with his babies repeating his last word twice.

“Who cares? Adryn is healed and we need to get going now. It looks like it's about to rain.” Laxus began to walk away from them but they all soon followed behind him. Laxus didn't initially know where he was going, but eventually, they found a tavern attached to an inn. It was almost too convenient for them, but they went into it anyway due to the rain that'd begun to fall.

“We'll get some food. You two go sit down.” Freed instructed as he and the others of the Thunder Legion headed for the bar to order the food. Laxus walked over to a decent-sized table away from the other random people in the bar and set Adryn down in a chair.

“Will you be able to sit up by yourself?”

“I should be alright. If not, I'll lean against you.” Adryn replied as she looked at him and frowned. She then looked to herself and her frown deepened. “You are still covered in blood, and so am I.”

“I don't care. It's not anyone's business, except our own.”

“Alright, if you say so.” Adryn then leaned against the now seated Laxus, which instantly worried him.

“Are you alright?”

“I just want to be near you.” That caused Laxus to smile softly at her, even though she couldn't see it. The two sat in silence until the Thunder Legion came to the table with their food.

“Do you have an appetite? Can you eat?” Evergreen asked as she sat down next to the injured girl.

“I need to eat regardless. I have to get my strength back.”

“You already look and sound better. I'm sure you'll be back to normal after some food and rest.” Freed stated as he sat next to Laxus. Bickslow ended up sitting between Evergreen and Freed. The Thunder Legion gave Laxus and Adryn their food and everyone began eating. Adryn ate slowly, as to not get sick since she still didn't

feel 100%. Laxus ate while watching Adryn just in case, which made the girl nervous.

“Can you not, Laxus? I can't eat while people are watching me.” Instead of replying, Laxus looked to his food and continued to eat, as if he hadn't been caught staring. Soon enough, the 5 of them were done eating and Freed was off to get a room for them. Specifically, he was figuring out if they had any large rooms for them all to sleep in. they all felt that they needed to be together just in case anything else happened to any of them.

“They, indeed, do have a large room with three beds, so we all can stay together tonight.” Freed informed them as he approached them after speaking with someone. Once they got up from the table, they headed to their big room, with Laxus carrying Adryn again.

“Wow, this really is a big room!” Bickslow pointed out the obvious as they entered the room, with his babies echoing his words. After everyone was in the room, they chose what beds they would sleep on. Laxus and Adryn got the bed closest to the window while Freed and Bickslow got the bed in the middle, meaning Evergreen got a bed to herself, which was the one closest to the door.

After everyone got ready for bed, they all ended up sitting on their beds and began to chat. They talked about all the events that happened that day, except for Adryn. The redhead remained silent through the whole conversation, which drew the worry of her friends and boyfriend.

“Adryn? Are you alright?” Laxus questioned from Adryn's side. His voice caused her to jolt and look up at him with confusion.

“Yeah?”

“Was that an answer to my question, or were you not paying attention?”

“Yes,” Adryn responded, confusing the man further. “I wasn't paying attention, but I was answering your question.” Adryn had a frown on her face as she spoke, which wasn't quite normal.

“Are you feeling alright?” Freed asked from his bed next to Bickslow.

“I... am not sure. I was feeling fine earlier, but now I think everything is setting in and hitting me hard.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Laxus asked causing Adryn to turn to face him.

“Well... I just am conflicted. I am unsure if I can fight against Nova, even though I know that I need to. I feel like... like I might even defend her if I needed to... I don't know...” Adryn looked to the floor as she spoke and couldn't look up at Laxus or her friends.

“Adryn, do you still love Nova?” Evergreen's question caused Adryn to look up instantly with a conflicted look on her face. Adryn's mouth opened and closed a few times before her eyes returned to the ground.

“I can't answer that currently. Can I have the night to sleep on it and think it over?” Before anyone could say anything, Adryn turned to face her pillow and began to climb into bed. “Actually, I think I should get to sleep. I'm not... I don't feel the greatest.”

“Sleeping is a good idea. Let's all sleep now.” Freed stated as he moved to climb into bed with Bickslow getting in a good distance away from Freed. The two didn't want to be too close to each other. Evergreen wasn't happy about Adryn's non-response but got into her bed as well. That left Laxus to climb into his and Adryn's bed, only to see that Adryn had her back turned to him. They slept like that a few times but this time it felt different. Laxus did not attempt to move close to Adryn as he laid down and she did not move to come closer to him. So, the two lovers fell asleep listening to the rain, feeling upset for different reasons.


	11. Apart

The next morning, Adryn felt like she woke up fairly early. From what she could see from the room, dawn was just breaking and light was just beginning to flow into the room. She wasn't facing the window though so she wasn't sure. Adryn figured that she was awake first and she wanted to see the window to see if her guesses of it being early were right, but when she turned around she was met face to face with an awake Laxus. Adryn gasped out, nearly screaming when she saw him watching her. It seemed like he was just as shocked that she was awake. 

“Good morning,” Laxus muttered after his shock wore off. His voice was as quiet, well as quiet as he could be. 

“Morning,” Adryn replied simply with a hesitant smile on her face. “How long have you been awake?” 

“For a little while, I guess.”

“Did you even sleep?” Adryn saw the slight sleepiness on his face that wasn't from just waking up. 

“Off and on,” Laxus whispered as he sat up quietly. Adryn followed him and sat up next to him but with a good distance between them. 

“The others are still asleep,” Adryn stated, pointing out the obvious. Laxus just hummed in response as he looked to the window to see how bright it was outside. It was getting brighter by the minute. “I finally have an answer to Evergreen's question from last night.” Laxus turned back to Adryn only to see her looking at her hands now. 

“And?”

“I'd rather tell everyone all at once, so I don't have to keep repeating myself.” To Adryn's statement, Laxus just nodded his head. The two then sat in silence for a little bit, until Adryn's stomach began growling. 

“We should wake up the others and get some food soon,” Laxus stated simply as he climbed out of their bed. Adryn watched as he went over and shook Freed awake. The green-haired man sat up slowly and looked to Laxus. Adryn nearly burst out into laughter at Freed's hair. It was all over the place and was insane. “It's time to wake up the others,” Laxus spoke to Freed who was trying to tame his wild hair. Once the man's hair was decent, he climbed out of his bed and woke Evergreen and Bickslow. 

“We're up early. What's going on?” Evergreen questioned as she sat up in bed and looked around at the others after putting on her glasses. 

“It's time to get ready for the day. Plus, Adryn has an answer to your question.” Laxus simply explained to the girl. Evergreen perked up when she heard that. 

“Oh? So what is your answer? Do you still love Nova?” To Evergreen's question, Adryn turned to the group and got ready to speak. She took a deep breath and then began.

“I do love Nova. However, I'm not in love with her and I honestly probably never was. I was always just very attached to her because I had nearly no one else. Plus I met her when she was a newborn, so she always held a special place in my heart. We were always together and I care deeply about her. Even so, she is now a threat to us and I am alright with taking her down. Even so, I might have problems with it. Though, I'll do my best.” Adryn explained to her friends and boyfriend. It took them a moment to process all she'd said, and then they nodded their heads. 

“I can accept that.” Evergreen stated simply as she climbed out of bed to get ready for the day. The rest of them agreed with her as well and they took turns using the bathroom to get ready. Laxus had a weird feeling in his stomach, but he wrote it off as that he was hungry or something. 

As soon as everyone was ready to leave, they headed to the tavern to eat some breakfast before they started their travels. There were more people now and they all seemed completely normal. So, after they got a table, Adryn headed to the bar.

“Excuse me.” Adryn approached one of the men behind the bar. 

“Yes? How can I help you?” The man responded kindly as he smiled at her. 

“Do you know where we can find an old man doctor? He healed me yesterday and I want to thank him.” In response, the man just stared at Adryn for a moment in confusion. 

“The only doctors we have are young men, no older men.” That startled Adryn but she tried to not let it show on her face. 

“Okay... Well, thank you anyway.” Adryn then returned to her table full of confusion. “Hey, that old man who healed me yesterday isn't someone these people know.”

“Maybe he was a traveler like us and was just stopping by?” Freed suggested as the redhead sat down between him and Laxus. 

“I don't know, something just doesn't feel right.” 

“How come?” Evergreen questioned from her place on the other side of Laxus. 

“The doctor conveniently appeared when we needed him most and he was able to heal my wound just at the right time. I wonder... Maybe Nova sent him to help us.”

“Why would she do that? She tried to kill you.” Laxus stated as he looked at his girlfriend like she was crazy. Adryn shrugged her shoulders before responding.

“I don't know why she would do that, but I do know that if she wanted me dead, she would have stabbed me somewhere fatal and I would be dead now.” That made the group think for a little bit before Adryn spoke up again. “How about we just worry about that later. Let's just eat now. We have a long day ahead of us, I feel it.” 

“Why do you say that?” Freed asked before he began to eat. 

“We have to find out information about Nova and hunt her down before she can surprise us or hurt one of us again. So that's what we'll be doing today.” 

That had been easier said than done. After the 5 of them finished eating, they asked around the bar if anyone had seen a lilac-haired girl around or any people with the Raven Tail guild mark on them somewhere. However, every person they talked to said that no one like that had been in their town at all. When asked about the house that Nova's people had led them to, the people of the bar stated that no such house even existed. So, the 5 of them headed out to where the house was, only to find that it was an empty lot. 

“What the actual fuck?” Adryn snapped as they all stared at the clearly empty lot. There were only signs that a house was there once. 

“How could a whole house go missing with no one noticing it or remembering that there was even a house there in the first place?” Freed was astonished at the situation. 

“Nova did this,” Adryn growled as she kicked at the dirt. 

“How?” 

“She has mind magic. Anything from being telepathic to mind control. She could easily erase Raven Tail from the minds of everyone in this town. It would be nothing to her. She's done it before.”

“This is incredible, and not in a good way.” Freed was a little in shock, but quickly gained his composure back. “What will we do now?”

“I say we track her down by her scent. I know her scent well, and if I even just catch it on the wind, I can find her.” Adryn was still worked up obviously. 

“What will we do until you catch her scent?” Evergreen questioned joining the conversation. 

“...What will we do, Freed?” Adryn turned her eyes to the green-haired man who just looked back at her in confusion. “You are the smart one of the group. We usually follow you.”

“Oh, right.” Freed took a moment to think before he faced everyone. “We should just start searching for Raven Tail members for now. I'm sure if you don't catch her scent, then one of those members can lead us to her.” 

“That sounds okay with everyone?” The other three agreed, so they headed to the train station. While they were waiting for the train to arrive, they decided to head further away from Fairy Tail. Adryn was the one who was sent to get the tickets this time but she was stopped by the ticket seller before she could buy the tickets.

“You are Adryn, correct?” The woman asked causing Adryn to look at her suspiciously. 

“I am. How do you know that?”

“Here, a girl with pale purple hair gave this note to me.” The woman handed Adryn a blue paper that was folded up. 

“Thank you.” Adryn stepped away from the seller to let others pass while she read the note. 

The note stated, 'Hello, Adryn. I'm sure you are wanting to find me now, so I'll help you out. You know that town that Ivan took you from all those years ago? Well, that's where we will be waiting for you. See you soon.'

“The fuck?” Adryn was in shock but moved back in line to buy the tickets for that town anyway. It was a town a little closer to Magnolia but still a good distance away. It would at least bring them closer to home than they were now. As Adryn approached the counter, there was a man there now. “Where is the woman that was here a few minutes ago?”

“What woman?” The man asked with irritation in his voice. 

“Um, never mind.” Adryn then requested the tickets and she was given them after she paid. She then returned to the Thunder Legion and Laxus' side. “Change of plans,” Adryn stated before telling them everything that just had happened while she was away from them. 

“It is most likely a trap.” Freed immediately responded, but Adryn just nodded her head. 

“Definitely, but we have to go. As long as we are together, we'll be fine, right?” 

“Of course,” Laxus responded instantly. With their leader's acceptance, the Thunder Legion agreed and they all boarded the train. Once on the train, Adryn leaned against Laxus and snuggled up to him. “What's got you all cuddly?” 

“I'm just cold.” Adryn lied even though she clearly wasn't cold. She just didn't want to tell Laxus that she just wanted to be close to him currently. However, the train then began to move and suddenly both dragon slayers were hit with motion sickness. “Oh fuck, this sucks.”

“We could have walked.” 

“That would have taken forever! Besides a little motion sickness won't kill anyone!” Adryn then paused as a wave of nausea washed over her. “Or maybe it will...” That caused the Thunder Legion to chuckle. Laxus found it all too real so he just kept his mouth shut. 

The train ride felt like it took forever, but eventually, they got to the town that was their  
destination. Once there, they began to look around the town to find the specific spot where Adryn was taken from, which was an alley off the main road of the town. Adryn couldn't remember which one exactly since there were a few, but once they entered an alley, they were surrounded. Men and women, all with the Raven Tail guild mark, were around them holding various weapons or were currently radiating their magical power. None of them made a move to attack them, so everyone ended up remaining tensely still. 

“Now, now. Don't look so worried. We won't hurt you.” It was Nova's voice. She walked through the crowd to reach the 5 standing in the center of the alley. “Well, we won't hurt you, as long as you, Adryn, comes with me.”

“If you wanted me, why did you stab me?!” Adryn snapped at her former lover, who in return just chuckled. 

“I stabbed you to prove a point. I can hurt you any time I want if I so chose to.” Adryn frowned at Nova's response but took it for now. She had more important things on her mind.

“So, you say you won't hurt anyone if I go with you, then fine. I'll go with you.” 

“What?!” The Thunder Legion and Laxus all cried out immediately. 

“You can't do that. We can fight them!” Laxus was instantly furious. He wasn't having this at all, but Adryn just turned around to face him. 

“I love you, Laxus. That's why I'll do anything as long as I can keep you and my friends safe. You know we would get really hurt if we tried to fight them.” Adryn then reached up to pull Laxus down to her level and pressed her lips against his. It was their first kiss in a while and it caused all sorts of butterflies to bloom in both of them. However, the kiss only lasted a moment before Adryn pulled away. “I'll see you later. We won't be separated for too long.” Adryn then turned around and walked to Nova. 

“Adryn!” Laxus reached out for Adryn, but she was already out of his reach. The group of people stopped any of them from going after the two women as they walked through the crowd. Adryn didn't look back once as she and Nova walked away from her lover and friends. She had a terrible feeling in her though, that this might be the last time she ever saw them again. That didn't stop her from following the lilac-haired girl though. Nova led Adryn to a seemingly lived in house on the outskirts of the town. 

“This is a little house that I am 'borrowing' from the owners,” Nova explained to Adryn as she opened the door and motioned for Adryn to walk in. Adryn did as she was told and entered the home, only to see blood everywhere in the entrance. 

“Oh my god! Did you kill these people?!” Adryn was outraged, but it only got worse when Nova laughed and nodded her head. 

“Of course I did. I wanted this house, so I took it. That's how we were raised.”

“Just because you were raised that way, doesn't mean that's how it has to be! You are capable of change! I changed!” Nova just ignored Adryn's words and walked into one of the bedrooms and sat on the bed. 

“Join me.” Nova patted the bed next to her, causing Adryn to growl at Nova. However, she did as she was told. Adryn sat next to the girl but sat as far away from her as she could. “Let's chat now.”

“About what?” 

“Anything you have on your mind.”

“Alright. Then, how has your life been since you supposedly died?” 

“It's was good. Ivan and I remained by each other's sides. It was all quite nice. Until you, Eclipse and Laxus killed him.” There was pure bitterness in her voice as she spoke, but Adryn chose to ignore it. 

“I see...”

“Let's not talk about me. Let's talk about how you fell for Laxus.”

“Alright, well... He is attractive, so that's one reason. He is also a big sweetheart deep down inside. He is caring towards the friends and family that he has, in his own special way. It isn't always obvious that he cares because he's a little hard to get along with at first, but when he lets you in, it's great. He carried my drunk ass back to our inn before we were really friends. Besides all that, he has accepted me for all the things that I've done and that has been done to me. He has done his best to protect me through everything that we have gone through and I know that he will continue to protect me, no matter what. That's due to him loving me, just as much as I love him. Though he doesn't say it, like at all. He would rather show his love than say it.” 

“That's good. I'm glad that you found someone to love like that. I am happy that you moved on from me... because having you have feelings for me was disgusting, vile and quite bothersome.”

“The fuck, Nova?! That was completely rude and uncalled for! You loved me too!” Those words caused Nova to laugh out loud.

“Actually, I never loved you, at all. Everything between us was fake and all a ruse just to get close to you and plant the seed that Ivan needed to control you for the rest of your life.”

“Well, clearly it didn't work. I'm not under Ivan's control anymore and I never will be again, because he is dead.” Nova just laughed again causing Adryn to frown. 

“You will always be under his control, as he laid the groundwork for me to take over. That means, while you're being controlled by me, you're being controlled by him.”

“Why are you even on his side in the first place? He killed your family!”

“He showed me what real love is.”

“The fuck does that mean?!” Adryn stood up from the bed as she yelled at the lilac-haired girl, who just smiled in return. 

“It doesn't matter. Just understand that I am attached to him, just as you are attached to Laxus. Well... maybe a bit more than you and Laxus.” Nova then pulled Adryn back down on the bed and continued to speak. “You know, Adryn, I'm surprised that you weren't attached to Ivan after all the good he did for you.” That infuriated Adryn, causing her to sit up and glare at Nova. 

“What the fuck type of good did he ever go for me?! He put my life through hell! Even to this day the things he caused still affect me!” 

“What good did he do? He helped bring Laxus into this world. You ended up being with him due to Ivan's planning. He always planned for you two to end up together and it has gone exactly how Ivan has wanted it to go.”

“What are you talking about? Laxus and I didn't even know each other until we were forced to take that job together!”

“Who's idea was it for the two of you to work together? Master Makarov's idea, correct?”

“...It was...” Adryn was hesitant to reply to that. She wasn't sure where Nova was going with this, but she knew that she didn't like it. To Adryn's response, Nova just smiled at her, a smug smile. “What is it?”

“Well, it's just that... While yes, it was his idea to make you two work together, it was only due to a suggestion that Ivan had me put in his mind, via my mind magic.” Adryn wasn't sure if Nova was telling the truth or not, but she couldn't help but wonder. What if her and Laxus getting together was really part of Ivan's plans? What if their relationship had been built due to someone wanting it to be built? Were their minds toyed with too to make them fall for each other? All these things and questions were swirling around Adryn's mind causing her to become worried. 

“Why... Why would Ivan want Laxus and me together?” Adryn finally had to ask after a few minutes of thought. 

“If Ivan couldn't have you, due to your overwhelming power to stop him, then he wanted Laxus to have you. That way, he could get his hands on you through him.”

“But he had people assault me! Wasn't that enough for him!?” Adryn was trying to not get worked up, which only worked her up more. When Nova didn't respond, Adryn asked another question. “Was dying part of Ivan's plan?”

“Of course it wasn't! Ivan didn't plan on Laxus growing such strong feelings for you, nor did he think you would reciprocate those strong feelings. Ivan also didn't anticipate that you and Laxus would come to the decision to kill him so easily.” Nova paused and Adryn could see Nova's face contort into anger. “I truly hate you three for taking away my love and I will get revenge for that!”

“How will your revenge happen?” 

“You will kill Laxus and Eclipse.”

“I will what now? I would never hurt either of them and there is nothing you could do that would make me do so.” To Adryn's strong words, Nova just laughed and stood up from the bed. 

“You're right. You won't... yet.” With those words, Nova walked out of the bedroom door and slammed it shut. Adryn listened as Nova locked the door behind her, and runes came up to prevent Adryn from escaping through any method.

“What the hell just happened?” Adryn was in complete shock over everything that'd been said to her. “Do... Do I only love Laxus because of Ivan's plan?” Adryn stood up from the bed and began to pace around the room. “No, that isn't possible. I know how I feel about Laxus. No one made me feel that way about him. But...” Adryn froze in place but then shook her head. “No! Even if it was some sick plan by Ivan, I love Laxus and I wouldn't give that up for anything!” Adryn then turned to the door. “You won't beat me, Nova! I won't be torn down by this! They will come for me! I won't be a part of your stupid plans!” The girl then sat back down on the bed and sighed to herself. “Laxus and the Thunder Legion better not have been attacked after I left. They better be safe.” Those were the last conscious thoughts of Adryn as she laid down on the bed and drifted off to sleep. All the drama had tired her out and since she had nothing better to do, she figured, why not just sleep. None of them knew of what was about to happen to her.


	12. Adryn's Gone

After Adryn and Nova disappeared from sight, the group around Laxus and the Thunder Legion scattered. None of them were able to catch someone to make them tell them where Adryn was being taken. Laxus could obviously smell where Adryn had gone but Freed stopped him from following after her scent. 

“Laxus, we should head to an inn first. We need to make a plan of attack, or else we might end up getting Adryn hurt while we try to save her.” Freed informed the dragon slayer, who reluctantly agreed with him. The 4 of them then headed to an inn and got one big room like last time. They chose what beds they were going to sleep on, and then began to discuss what they were going to do. 

“I say we just go in and get her,” Laxus stated from his bed near the window. “I can follow her scent. I'll know where she is.”

“I think that would be a bad idea, Laxus. Like I said before, we don't know what would happen and we might hurt Adryn in the process.” Freed instantly refused his leader's suggestion.

“We should go back to the guild and get more people to outnumber them.” Evergreen suggested from her bed by the door.

“We should wait and gather information about them and the situation that Adryn is in before we do anything. We cannot risk hurting her in the process of saving her. She wouldn't want us to risk ourselves either.” Freed was very definite with his tone. He didn't want them to argue with him.

“I agree with Freed. We need to be careful with this.” Bickslow stated with his babies echoing, “Careful! Careful!”

“I agree as well,” Evergreen stated as she looked to Laxus. The man sighed before nodding his head. 

“Alright. Let's go with what Freed says.” Laxus was clearly not happy about that at all. Laxus was just getting angrier by the second until he couldn't hold it in any longer. “I can't believe that Adryn left us like that. I can't protect her if she isn't by my side. I swore I'd protect her, what if something happens to her while we aren't there?” At first, the Thunder Legion wasn't sure what to say to Laxus and they weren't sure if the man wanted them to even say anything. However, Freed finally found his voice and spoke up. 

“She chose to leave your side, Laxus. It isn't your fault if anything happens to her. Besides, she's strong and can protect herself.” Freed stated to his friend, who just shot him a glare and got up from the bed he was sitting on. “Where are you going?” They watched as Laxus stomped over to the door. 

“Out,” Was all Laxus responded as he left and slammed the door behind him. He made his way out of the inn and began to just wander around the city. He was trying to avoid heading to where Adryn was since he already agreed to not go after her yet. Even the walk couldn't get his mind right, so he was still angry when someone stepped into his path causing him to stop and glare at them. They were in the shadows but then stepped fully out into the light, causing Laxus to growl at them.

“Hey there, Laxus. How are you feeling?” It was Nova standing in front of Laxus. She had a smug smile on her face, which served to piss Laxus off further along with her words. 

“I'm pissed off and I want my girlfriend back!” Laxus snapped at the girl, who chuckled in return. 

“I'm sorry, but Adryn was mine first, though I never wanted her. I have big plans for her and you better not get your hopes up that you'll ever see the girl you know again. Once I'm through with her, she won't be the same person.” That infuriated Laxus further, and he moved to step closer to her but found he was frozen in place. “Sorry about this, but I can't let you attack me just yet.” Nova then smiled at him and spoke to him telepathically. 'Adryn will never be your again.' With that, Nova turned around and walked off. As soon as she turned a corner, Laxus was able to move and he ran after her, only to find her gone now with no trace at all left behind. 

“The fuck?” Laxus grumbled in confusion. He wasn't sure what just happened, but he figured that she must have teleported away, or had someone teleport her away for her. So, with worry and more anger in him than before, Laxus returned to the inn. 

“How was your walk?” Freed asked once Laxus was in the room and headed to his bed. 

“Not all that great.” Laxus then informed them of what Nova had said to him, causing everyone to now feel worried. 

“That is... concerning,” Freed admitted though he then sighed. “However, it's late, and we should get to bed or else we'll be too tired to do any fighting in the morning.”

“Do you not care about Adryn? What if she is in danger?” Laxus snapped at his friend. Freed was shocked for a moment but then shook his head. 

“Of course I care about her, she's my friend. Even so, we need to keep ourselves safe by getting proper rest or else we'll be useless to her when she needs us the most.” Laxus wanted to argue more but found that Freed's words made sense. 

“Fine,” Laxus grumbled as he gathered his stuff for bed. He got ready first, followed by the others. Once they were all in bed, Laxus found that he was exhausted and fell asleep right away, despite his worry over his girlfriend. 

~

The next day, Adryn woke up under the covers of the bed she was laying on. She didn't remember putting herself under them, so she was quite confused. She was also a bit shocked that she slept the night away and into the next morning. Once she got up from bed, she noticed that the runes around her room were gone, meaning that she could probably escape now. However, as she was walking to the window, Nova entered the room. 

“Trying to escape?” Nova asked simply with a smirk on her face. 

“No, just trying to see how early it was.” Adryn lied instantly, even though Nova clearly knew what she was doing. 

“I see... Well, it's early enough for breakfast, so come with me and we'll get something to eat.” Adryn nodded her head and followed Nova as she guided her to the kitchen. Adryn sat down at the table and Nova sat across from her. Some man came over to them with their plates of food. It was just normal breakfast food, nothing too special. “So, how did you sleep?” 

“I slept just fine. A little too fine for the situation that I'm in.” Adryn responded as she took a bite of her food. She decided that it tasted good enough so she continued to eat. Nova did the same before pausing to smile at Adryn. 

“So, I ran into Laxus last night while you were asleep. He looked quite angry with me.” Nova chuckled at the last part, causing Adryn to frown. 

“I miss him, and the others, but him the most.” Adryn then took a sip of her water as Nova creepily smiled at her. 

“Do you want to forget about Laxus and the others?”

“What?! Why the fuck would I want to forget about them?! I love Laxus!” Adryn stood up out of anger but found that she was slightly wobbly. 

“Don't worry, Adryn, you will forget about them all. No matter what.” That caused Adryn's stomach to turn as the world around her began to spiral. 

What did you do to me?” Adryn braced herself on the table but soon found her arms couldn't hold her up causing her to collapse to the ground. Nova just smiled down at her, making Adryn realize how stupid she'd been. Her food or drink must have been spiked with something. However, it was too late to know that, as Adryn blacked out on the floor making the last thing she saw was Nova's smiling face.

~

The moment Adryn blacked out, Laxus and the others were eating their own breakfast. However, Laxus froze and got a terrible feeling in his stomach. A cold chill ran through him, alerting him that something was terribly wrong with Adryn. 

“Something is wrong,” Laxus stated to his friends. 

“What do you mean?”

“Something must have happened with Adryn. We need to leave now.” Laxus stood up from his seat and threw his coat over his shoulders. The others followed suit as Freed hurried off to pay for their food. He caught up with the others as Laxus began his trek through town. He could still smell Adryn's trail, but he could also smell Nova now. They were on the opposite of town, and it took a few minutes to get there. However, once they got to the little home, Nova was standing outside of it with a huge smile on her face. 

“I've been expecting you 4. welcome to my current home.” Nova smugly said to the group. 

“Where is Adryn!?” Laxus was instantly furious at the girl. 

“Now, now. If Adryn so chooses to return to you, she can. I am no longer holding her captive.”

“Of course she'll want to return to us. She's part of Fairy Tail, she's our friend and family. She is returning with us!” Evergreen stated angrily but Nova just smiled and shrugged her shoulders. She then turned around and walked into the home. The 4 of them instantly followed her, ignoring the bloody entrance of the house. As they enter the home, they realize that Nova is in the living room. So that's where they go, only to find Nova standing across the room from Adryn who was just casually sitting on the couch. 

“Adryn!” Laxus was about to rush to her side when Freed stopped him. 

“Something is wrong with her. Look at her.” Freed stated as he stared at the redhead. She was different looking. Her clothes were all wrong. She was wearing tight black pants, which they'd never seen her in before and a simple black tank top. For once, she didn't have her cape on her. However, that wasn't what Freed was referring to. He was staring right at her left arm. Where the Fairy Tail guild mark was just about her left wrist, something looked off with it. 

“Is... is that the Raven Tail guild mark on the Fairy Tail guild mark?!” Evergreen was horrified and unsure if she was seeing this correctly. 

“It's like she's been branded,” Freed responded, confirming Evergreen's worries. 

“That's not okay,” Bickslow muttered with his babies remaining silent in the serious situation. 

“What the fuck is that?! Why does she have that mark on her?!” Laxus just about exploded on Nova, but she just held her finger up to her lips in a shushing motion. 

“Don't yell. You'll upset my dear, Arcadia.” Nova was clearly referring Adryn as a different name, which instantly worried the 4 friends. 

“Arcadia?” Freed questions as he tries to remain calm. 

“Adryn is no more. She is now Arcadia. She is mine, body, and soul.” 

“Brainwashing can't take someone over completely, not like that.” 

“Oh, but it isn't brainwashing. Adryn has been killed and reborn as Arcadia. She is now someone who wholly adores me and would do anything for me. You are free to try to 'snap her out of it', but it won't work.” Nova was smug and it infuriated Freed and the others. While Laxus was seemingly in shock. 

“Adryn,” Freed stated as he approached the girl. She just looked up at him with confusion in her eyes. She then looked to Nova who nodded her head. She then looked back to Freed. “It's time for you to wake up and return to Laxus' side before it is too late.” Nothing was the girl's response. 

“Come on Adryn, you belong to Laxus, not some psycho girl. You can't be Arcadia because of that!” Evergreen cried out to her friend, who in return just looked at her like she was insane. 

“You need to snap out of this, Adryn. You need to return to Fairy Tail with us.” Bickslow stated with his babies repeating “With us.” twice. The Thunder Legion then moved aside for Laxus to approach the redhead. She just looked up at Laxus with a blank expression. It was something that just caused Laxus to frown at her. 

“You swore that you would never leave me again. You are breaking that promise by becoming Arcadia.” Laxus simply spoke to the girl. 

“Does it seem like I care?” The girl now known at Arcadia responded. Hearing that made Laxus feel like his heart had been torn. 

“You will always have a place by my side after you snap out of whatever is controlling you, but for now, I can't stand to see you like this as someone I don't know.” Laxus' tone was more emotional than usual. He looked Arcadia in the eyes as he spoke next. “I hope I will see you again, Adryn. Goodbye.” With that, he turned around and left the house, with the Thunder Legion following after him. None of them noticed the tears that fell from Arcadia's eyes. 

“Why are you crying?!” Nova growled at the girl as she approached her and violently wiped the tears away from Arcadia's eyes. 

“I... I don't know. It just... feels like something broke inside of me.” Arcadia seemed like she was almost as upset about the tears as Nova was. However, the lilac-haired girl knew that she needed to change the subject and get Arcadia's mind off of Laxus and the Thunder Legion. 

“Whatever, let's get going.” Nova pulled Arcadia to her feet and shoved her towards the door. 

“Where are we going?” 

“To the Magic Council headquarters. We have a jailbird to visit.” 

“Are we going to kill anyone?” Arcadia almost seemed hopeful at the idea of killing someone. 

“Maybe, if anyone gets in our way, but no. I want to psychologically break my sister.” With that, the two girls began their long journey to their destination. 

~

A day later, Laxus and the Thunder Legion have made their way home. They reached Magnolia quite quickly and immediately headed to the guildhall to explain to everyone what had happened to Adryn. 

“Hello guys, how was your... Wait, where's Adryn?” Mirajane asked as she approached the 4 of them. “Is she coming later?”

“No. She's gone.” Freed explained, and then seeing the horror on Mirajane's face, he continued. “She's still alive, but... it's complicated.”

“I'll go get Master and then you can explain what happened.” Mirajane then hurried off and returned a few moments later with Master Makarov in tow. 

“What is going on?” He demanded instantly. He could see on their faces that something bad had happened. Freed explained the whole situation to them and whoever else was listening in on their conversation. He told them that Adryn had gone with her former lover, who was somehow alive and was working for the now deceased Ivan, to protect them. The next day, they hurried over to where she was being kept, only to find that Adryn was now Arcadia. Freed finished by saying that Nova didn't specify how Adryn was now Arcadia, but that it was clear that the girl they knew was gone now. 

“That's terrible!” Mirajane gasped out after Freed finished telling the explanation. 

“We need to get my child back!” Master Makarov growled angrily. 

“She is no longer a member of Fairy Tail,” Laxus grumbled as he walked to the bar. 

“What does he mean?”

“Over Adryn's Fairy Tail guild mark, there is a Raven Tail brand burned into her skin,” Freed explained as he watched Laxus order a drink as he sat at the bar. 

“How dare they do this to one of my children!” Master Makarov was clearly furious, and contrary to that, Laxus was not. Laxus was acting like he had no hope at all and that everything that was done, was going to stay like that. So, worried about his friend, Freed made his way to Laxus who was drinking like there was no tomorrow. The rest of that day, Freed, Bickslow and Evergreen watched as Laxus drank himself nearly to death. Once night fell and Freed offered to guide Laxus home, well more like helped him stumble home, Freed had enough. 

“Laxus, this is enough. We are going to get Adryn back! We will, there is hope, as long as we don't give up!” Freed was trying to be uplifting, but the drunk man just shook his head. Laxus was laying on the couch in his living room, while Freed stood in front of him.

“She doesn't want to come back. If she did, she would have stayed by my side and never went with that bitch that day.”

“You can't give up hope, Laxus! You can't give up on Adryn!”

“She's 'Arcadia' now!” Laxus growled as he shakily sat up to glare at Freed. “Get out if you're just going to bitch on and on about bullshit!”

“I refuse to get out until I-”

“Get the fuck out!” Laxus roared at the man causing Freed to flinch and take a step backward. Shocked and worried for his friend, Freed turned and left Laxus to himself. However, Freed hurried off to the other members of the Thunder Legion and informed them of what had just transpired. 

“I am worried that losing Adryn has caused his old personality to return. I fear what Laxus could do to himself and others now that she is gone.” Freed spoke to Evergreen and Bickslow who just nodded their heads. “How can we get him back to how he should be?”

“Let's have him cool off for tonight and sober up, then go to him tomorrow,” Evergreen stated after a moment of thought. Freed nodded his head and looked to Bickslow who hadn't said much recently. “You good?” Evergreen asked her friend who just looked between Freed and Evergreen. 

“It's just that... Adryn's soul seemed to be different now. I'm just worried that there is no saving her.” Bickslow muttered after a moment with his babies not saying anything in return. 

“We have to try.” Freed immediately responded causing Bickslow to nod his head in agreement. So, with them agreeing on their plans, the 3 split up and headed to their homes for the night, just to meet again in the morning at Laxus' apartment. 

~

The next day, Laxus awoke to knocking on his door. The next thing he knew, he had searing pain flow through his head. 

“Fuck,” Laxus muttered to himself as he got up and opened the door. He didn't remember much of the day and night before, as he was so drunk but he did mostly remember that he and Freed got into it over Adryn. “Hey, guys,” Laxus stated once he saw who was at the door. It was the Thunder Legion.

“May we come in?” Freed properly questioned causing Laxus to frown. 

“Sure.” Laxus then made his way into his kitchen and grabbed a bottle of alcohol and began to drink. He figured that since he already felt like shit, he may as well be drunk and feel like shit. It made sense to him. 

“We need to save Adryn, no matter what.” Evergreen began as Laxus turned to face the 3 of them. 

“She would never have willingly become a puppet for Nova, no matter what, due to her love for you.” Bickslow continued for the girl. Before Freed could speak, Laxus put up a hand to stop them.

“If this is what we're going to talk about, then you all can get out,” Laxus grumbled as he took another drink of his alcohol.

“Enough, Laxus!” Freed yelled, causing everyone in the room to be shocked and look at the green-haired man. “We need to save Adryn! She loves you and swore to never leave you, right? So, of course, she wouldn't have left you and become someone else willingly! She would never want to be part of Raven Tail again, you know that!” Freed then continued before Laxus could get a word in. “Besides, Adryn already said she doesn't love Nova like that. She is in love with you. If you don't come with us to save Adryn, the Thunder Legion will never forgive you!” Freed got ready to continue talking, but Laxus sighed and nodded his head, setting his alcohol down. 

“Alright. You're right. I'm... I'm sorry.” Laxus muttered quietly but was heard by the other 3 people. “Let me get cleaned up, and we'll go.” 

After Laxus got his shit together and the others got ready as well, they made their way to the train station and got aboard a train to take them back to the last place they saw Adryn. It only took a day, but they got there quite late. Despite that, they made their way to the house only to find it empty. As they leave the home, they are surrounded by a few men. 

“We can't let you get any further. You may not follow our master and her lover.” One of the men spoke to the 4 of them, causing Laxus to get angry. He easily took out the few men and kept one of them awake long enough to yell at him.

“Where did Nova take Adryn!?” Laxus yelled at the nearly unconscious man. He could see the anger in Laxus' eyes, so he instantly began to blab on about where they were. 

“They are heading  
to the jail where Eclipse is to mentally scar her!” The now scared man cried out. Laxus then let the man fall to the ground as he turned and headed for the train station. 

“We need to go now. It'll take a little bit to get there.” Laxus stated as the Thunder Legion hurried after him. Thankfully, one train that was headed towards the jail was still running. So they got on it, and began their journey, hoping that they wouldn't be too late.

~

Meanwhile, Nova and Arcadia reached the Magic Council headquarters where Eclipse was being held. As they made their way to Eclipse's jail cell, Nova ordered Arcadia to take out the guards, but not kill them, yet. About 20 people later, Nova and Arcadia were standing in front of Eclipse's cell. She had her back to them, so she didn't know who was standing at her cell. 

“What is it this time? I swear, you people just won't leave me alone.” Eclipse muttered as she turned around, only to gasp out in a mix of shock and horror. “What... Am I hallucinating?” Eclipse was staring right at Nova. 

“This is no hallucination, my older sister. I am really here.” Nova responded with a smirk. “Open the cell.” Nova then commanded Arcadia. Arcadia did as she was told and broke into the cell using her lightning. 

“What's going on? Adryn, why are you with my sister? Plus, how are you alive?! I killed you!” Eclipse stood up and walked backward away from the two women who were now entering her cell. 

“Why should we explain anything to a soon-to-be-dead person?” Nova chuckled at the horrified look on Eclipse's face. 

“Dead? Adryn wouldn't even hurt me.” 

“She isn't Adryn any longer. Her new name is Arcadia.” 

“What are you talking about?!”

“Arcadia is now my follower. Don't worry, I'm not mind-controlling her. Instead, I have taken over her complete body and soul. There is no way to reverse this.” 

“How dare you do that to Adryn! She isn't some puppet for you to play with!” Eclipse moved to lunge at Nova, only for Arcadia to step in front of Nova with her eyes glowing. Instantly, Eclipse was on the ground crying out in pain. “Wake up... Adryn... please!” Eclipse begged but the redhead just looked at her with disgust. 

“Be silent and die!” Nova laughed out loud causing more than just pain to go through Eclipse's body. After a couple of minutes of pain, the world around Eclipse began to darken. However, just before she passed out, Arcadia stopped her magic. 

“Adryn?” Eclipse coughed out as she looked up at her best friend. However, Nova just stepped in front of her and smiled down at her sister. 

“Don't worry, I wouldn't actually have my precious sister killed. Instead, I just wanted to show Arcadia off and tell everyone that she is, indeed, my puppet.”

“Release Adryn from your hold!” 

“Just stop, Eclipse. I'm happy the way I am now. I feel better than I ever have. I don't want to become Adryn again.” Arcadia spoke up as she looked down at her former best friend. 

“What about Laxus? Don't you love him?!” 

“He is irrelevant to me now.” Arcadia harshly responded as she glared at Eclipse for mentioning Laxus. “Besides, he's just confused by his feelings. He doesn't actually care about me like he thinks he does.”

“No, Adryn, you are the one confused and you will regret everything that you've done and probably will do from here on out. You need to wake up before you do something that you can never truly come back from.” Eclipse sounded more disappointed than anything now. 

“Shut up!” Adryn then collected her lightning to her fist and punched Eclipse before the pink-haired girl could move out of the way. Eclipse's head hit the ground with so much force that it caused her to blackout. “Regret? The only thing I regret is ever being around Laxus and the others in the first place. Those were the worst times of my life so far.” 

“I'm glad you think that way, but you know she can't hear you, right?” Nova mentioned from behind the redhead. 

“Y-Yeah, I know that!” Arcadia snapped back, clearly embarrassed. 

“Anyway, let's head out now. We accomplished what I wanted.” As Nova and Arcadia began to leave the room they were in, they were confronted with the now conscious guards once more. “Kill them this time, Arcadia. Leave no survivors.” Arcadia didn't move, however, and just looked to the floor. “What is it?” 

“I can't kill them. Something just doesn't feel right.” Arcadia then attacked them one by one, knocking them back out. She then returned to Nova's side and instantly was punched to the ground. “W-What?”

“You are pathetic! You can't do a simple task that I tell you to do! You are a disappointment!” Nova screamed at the redhead who was now holding her wounded cheek. “Let's go.”

“Alright,” Arcadia muttered as she stood back up and followed after Nova. The two girls headed to a nearby town to stay at an inn for a bit. Nova decided that they “needed to relax”, but that was just a cover story. While Nova was making their food, she spiked Arcadia's drink and food more so than before. 

“With this, you will lose all your memories from your past and will become mine, body mind and soul. You won't remember any of your previous values or feelings. Instead, you'll only feel what I tell you to feel!” Nova chuckled to herself low enough that Arcadia, who was reading, could not hear her. As they ate together, Arcadia had no idea that she was eating anything bad, until she became extremely dizzy and fell from her chair onto the ground once again. She was out cold before she ever even knew it. The only thing she remembered hearing, was Nova's laughter as she slipped into the blackness.


	13. Hope

Laxus and the Thunder Legion finally reached the Magic Council headquarters only to find out that Eclipse was no longer there, and that two women had attacked them. Once the two women were described, Laxus and the others knew that they were talking about Arcadia and Nova. 

“We need to find Eclipse. I can still smell her scent. I can't smell Arcadia or Nova for some reason.” Laxus explained to the Thunder Legion. 

“Alright, hopefully, she'll lead us to the other two,” Freed stated as they all headed out in the direction of where Eclipse was. It took the rest of the day for Laxus and the Thunder Legion to find Eclipse. When they finally found her, she had set up camp in the forest between the towns.

“Oh, hello. I didn't expect to see you guys out here.” Eclipse had apparently sensed them coming, so she was welcoming to them. 

“May we join you?” Freed questioned as they approached the lone girl. She nodded her head and they all came to sit around the fire that Eclipse had built. 

“What are you doing out here?” 

“Looking for...” Laxus paused and wasn't sure which name he was supposed to use for Arcadia. 

“For Adryn/Arcadia? Yeah, me too.” Eclipse frowned and looked into the fire. “She and Nova came to... visit me and now I'm following them. I can sense them through my connection with both of them.” 

“We were hoping that you could find them since their scent disappeared suddenly,” Laxus explained to the pink-haired girl. She just nodded her head and sighed.

“They must have someone with teleportation magic with them. They will be hard to catch.” 

“So, you said they 'visited' you? What exactly happened?” Freed asked with curiosity. Eclipse then explained to them what happened between her and the other two girls. “So essentially, Nova just wanted to try to break you.” 

“Yeah, and it nearly worked, but something about Arcadia just seemed wrong. Her pain magic wasn't nearly as strong as it could have been. It was like she was holding back for my sake. It made me realize that I needed to be strong for her to be able to save her. So that's what I'm going to do.”

“We will save her,” Laxus said harshly. 

“Yeah, of course, we will. We all care about her deeply. I don't like this Arcadia character, we need Adryn back. She wasn't perfect, but she at least cared about us back.” After that, the conversation died down and they ended up going to sleep soon after that. Laxus didn't sleep well at all. He was dwelling too much on how they were going to save his girlfriend. Eclipse was in the same boat. She couldn't sleep well because she was too worried that they wouldn't be able to save her. 

~

The next morning, the group got up fairly early and headed out. They were close to the next town, but it would take a few hours. However, once they got there, Laxus picked up Arcadia's scent. They followed the scent to an apartment in the middle of town. Not wanting to bother anyone by acting like psychos, Eclipse simply knocked on the door where Laxus smelled Arcadia from, rather than breaking in the door dramatically. After a few moments of silence, the door opened to reveal Arcadia standing there.

“Oh, hello. Come on in.” Arcadia spoke as she smiled at the group which confused them entirely. “Nova told me I would have visitors, but she also told me that I should kill you if any of you tried anything with me.” Arcadia led them to the living room and sat down on the couch. “So, who are you all and what do you want with me?” 

“What?” Eclipse questioned a little shocked at Arcadia's question. “You don't know who we are?” 

“No, should I?” That was terrifying to the group, as she at least remembered them before and didn't seem so confused. 

“We know you. Well, the previous you. We knew you as Adryn, not Arcadia. We were your friends and the blond is your lover.” Eclipse explained only to have Arcadia chuckle at her. 

“No, I'm sorry. The only lover and friend that I have is Nova. No one else matters to me.” instantly, Eclipse walked over to Arcadia and grabbed her shoulders and began to shake her.

“Snap out of it! You are going to do or say something that you can never come back from!” Eclipse yelled into Arcadia's face. The redhead became furious immediately and shoved Eclipse away from her, knocking her to the ground as Arcadia stood up. 

“I am not to be touched by anyone! Only Nova can touch me!” 

“Arcadia. You must listen to us. We are your friends and Laxus is your boyfriend. Eclipse is your best friend.” Freed calmly spoke to the now shaking girl. Arcadia just shook her head in return.

“No, you're lying to me!” Arcadia took a step away from Eclipse and the others and the pink-haired girl stood up. 

“Please, Adryn. You need to wake up and see the truth.” Eclipse nearly begged to her former best friend. The only thing the others could see in Arcadia's eyes was pure confusion. 

“You are going to lose your family if you don't snap out of it,” Evergreen stated with a sad tone. The redhead's eyes were slowly changing to acceptance. She was clearly starting to accept their words. However, at that terrible moment, the door opened to reveal Nova standing there looking furious. 

“Arcadia is now mine and will always be mine.” Nova declared angrily as she stomped up to Arcadia and stood in front of her. That seemed to make Laxus snap as he took a step forward and began to speak.

“Adryn is no one's possession! She made her choice already and she wants to be with Fairy Tail! She wants to be with me and you have no right to take the ability to choose for her!” Laxus growled out loudly at the lilac-haired girl. Nova just smiled at the man, unfazed by his words.

“Don't you remember, Arcadia chose to go with me that day. She willingly came with me.”

“I don't even know any of you people.” Arcadia snapped at them. “You can't talk to Nova like that and you need to leave now!” Laxus just growled under his breath and walked over to Arcadia. He then grabbed her shoulders, pulled her to him and kissed her right on the lips. He felt Arcadia freeze as he did so. The kiss only lasted a few moments and Laxus soon pulled away from Arcadia. 

“I will continue to love you, even though you no longer remember me,” Laxus muttered to the shocked girl. “But, this is goodbye, Arcadia.” Laxus went to turn away but caught a glimpse of Arcadia's face. There were tears streaming down her face and she was now holding onto Laxus' coat sleeve. “Why are you crying?”

“I-I don't know! I just know that my chest hurts and I don't want to say goodbye to you!” Arcadia cried out as she wiped her tears away from her eyes. 

“Stop thinking like that! Remember that you are mine!” Nova screamed at the girl, trying to move her away from Laxus. 

“No! I'm not anyone's property! I don't even remember why I'm with you in the first place!” Arcadia yelled back, smacking Nova's hands away from her. 

“Do you remember anything?” Eclipse questions, approaching the confused and still crying girl. 

“I don't remember anything anymore and I don't like it one bit!” Arcadia cried out as she took a step back from everyone. “I want to leave. Right now!”

“Do you want to come back with us to Fairy Tail?” Laxus asks instantly. Arcadia took a moment to look up at him before nodding her head. 

“Yes. I want to go with you.” 

“Enough!” Nova then lunged at Laxus with a dagger out, but Arcadia just began to use her pain magic on the lilac-haired girl. Nova dropped the dagger and fell to the ground. Arcadia was using her full power on Nova, causing her to pass out within a few seconds. 

“I... I don't think I trust Nova anymore.” 

“Good! She's the one who caused you to lose all your memories!” Eclipse spoke up as she stepped over her unconscious sister to get to Arcadia. 

“Let's get going before she wakes up,” Freed said before anyone else could say a thing. They all agreed with him, so with that, they headed to the train station. They boarded the train and began their journey home. 

“So do you really not remember anything?” Eclipse finally asks when she realized that Adryn was turning green. 

“Well, I remember a little about my life... or at least what I thought was my life. I was told by Nova that there was no one else in my life other than her and Ivan, but he's dead now so it's just Nova. She also told me that I was alone and that if I didn't stay with her, then I would be completely alone. She told me that Fairy Tail was my enemy and that I should avoid any member of Fairy Tail because no one would accept someone from Raven Tail.” Arcadia explained simply as she began to get distracted from her motion sickness. Arcadia then looked to her wrist with a frown. “You know, I always knew something was wrong because I could see the Fairy Tail mark under the Raven Tail brand.”

“Do you remember getting the brand?” Evergreen questioned, to which Arcadia just shook her head. 

“No, when I woke up, it was there.” 

“That could play a part in you forgetting everything. It may be as if it is blocking your memories as it was blocking out the Fairy Tail mark.” Freed suggests after a moment of thought. Arcadia thought about it for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. 

“Can you all tell me about my life?” Arcadia looked to Eclipse and Laxus for answers, who looked at each other.

“Well, you were dating Laxus and me and a girl called Mirajane were your best friends.” Eclipse began simply as she looked to Arcadia. “You moved in with Laxus a little after you started dating. However, before that, you lived in the forest around Magnolia. Before all that though, you were forced to be a part of Raven Tail and Ivan put you through hell causing you to help in the ending of his life.” 

“What about the truth about Nova?”

“Nova had been pretending to be dead all these years and she said that she was close with Ivan.”

“She was close to Ivan. Disturbingly close.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“They... they  
were sleeping together. Or at least that's what I think. I'm not sure if that is a true memory or something false that Nova planted in my mind.” 

“That's disgusting!” Evergreen gasped out to which Arcadia just nodded her head. The redhead then looked to Laxus who had a grossed out look on his face. He clearly didn't like to think that an older man could be sleeping with such a young girl. So, with that, their conversation died out and Arcadia drifted off to sleep. She was exhausted from the day she'd had. 

Much later that day, they reached Magnolia. Eclipse woke Arcadia up, who frowned upon seeing her. She explained that she was upset because she hoped that all this craziness was just a dream. Eclipse apologizes to her for it not being a dream and then leads Arcadia off the train. All of them met up outside the train station and were saying their goodnights as it was too late to head to the guildhall. 

“Um... Where am I supposed to go?” Arcadia asked as everyone was about to leave. However, instead of anyone responding to her, Laxus just took ahold of her hand and began to lead her away.

“You will come to our apartment.” Laxus simply explained as he walked away from the others. Arcadia didn't pull her hand away or argue with him. She liked her hand being held by Laxus but she didn't understand why. She didn't remember him at all, but apparently, her body did. Once they got into their apartment, Laxus released her hand. “I'll sleep on the couch. You can sleep in the bed in the bedroom.” Arcadia nodded her head and headed to where Laxus pointed her to. Once she got in there, she looked through the closet and found clothing that she liked. She was confused but accepted it and changed into a simple nightgown that was blue. She then walked to the bed and saw a book that she really liked sitting on the bedside table. That confused her further, but also made her realize that these were her things. 

“Laxus?” Arcadia questioned as she left the bedroom. Laxus was sitting on the couch trying to get a pillow to act right for him. He was shirtless now causing Arcadia to avert her eyes and look to the floor with a blush on her face. 

“What is it?” 

“I... I'm sorry for forgetting everything. I can tell that you are a little... upset over me not remembering you. I'm also sorry that I doubted you all. I can see now that maybe you all were telling me the truth.” 

“It's alright, Arcadia. It isn't your fault. Just go to bed.” Laxus didn't mean to sound so harsh, but it came out that way anyway. Before he could say anything else, the girl fled to his bedroom and closed the door behind her. She climbed into the bed on the side where the book she liked was. She figured that it was her side of the bed. She couldn't fall asleep though. She felt like there was a hole inside her heart and she didn't understand why. The pain from it was so great, the girl began to cry quietly to herself eventually crying herself to sleep. Unfortunately for Laxus, he could hear her crying and felt even worse now. He didn't know why she was crying, but he blamed himself for it. 

~

The next morning, Arcadia woke up and got changed into a pair of black shorts and a blue tank top. She truly enjoyed the outfit and wondered why Nova put her in what she was wearing before. After she was dressed, she left the bedroom and headed to the kitchen where Laxus was making food for the two of them. 

“Good morning,” Arcadia spoke up to the man who looked over his shoulder and grunted in response. She sat down at the table and waited patiently for the man to finish up. “How did you sleep?”

“Not well. The couch is not big enough for me to comfortably lay on.” Laxus sounded a little grumpy due to his lack of sleep. “How did you sleep?”

“It felt like I passed out, so I'm not entirely sure. However, I think I slept well.” 

“That's good.” Laxus then brought two plates of food over for himself and Arcadia. The two ate in silence and afterward, Laxus went to the bedroom to get ready for the day. Once he was ready and had his coat on, they headed out of the apartment. On their way, Arcadia began to slow her walking. “What's wrong?”

“I... I am worried. What if they don't accept me due to the Raven Tail brand over the Fairy Tail mark?”

“I'll protect you.” Hearing those words from Laxus caused a few stray tears to fall from Arcadia's eyes. Both herself and Laxus were confused at that, but Arcadia just wiped the tears away.

“I'm sorry. I don't understand what's going on. I have a strange feeling in my chest.” hearing that gave Laxus a little hope for the girl remembering him, but he tried to not get his hopes up too far. The rest of the walk, the two remained silent. It was a comfortable silence though as neither of them had anything of importance to say to each other. Soon, they reached the guildhall and everyone looked at them as they walked in. 

“Hello, Arcadia. Eclipse and the Thunder Legion have explained the situation already to us.” Master Makarov stated to the redhead as he approached her and Laxus. Master Makarov then introduced himself and was about to say more, but multiple people surrounded them, asking Arcadia if she was okay and how she was feeling. It was all quite overwhelming, causing Arcadia to panic. Out of fright, Arcadia stepped behind Laxus and held onto his coat. 

“Everyone needs to back off! She isn't in the mood to answer questions.” Laxus snapped at the group, who instantly dispersed and returned to their tables. “Let's go.” Laxus then began to walk, with Arcadia following closely behind him. He led her to Mirajane and Master Makarov who were with Eclipse and the Thunder Legion. 

“So, child, do you have any memories yet?” Master Makarov questioned the redhead who just shook her head. 

“No, sir. I do have a strange feeling in my chest every now and then though, but no memories.” Arcadia responded simply as she put a hand to her chest. 

“She's been crying a lot,” Laxus muttered to the group. 

“That could be her true self coming out through the crying as she is locked away and is upset at hurting everyone around her,” Freed suggested as an explanation. 

“Are you all really upset that I forgot everything?” It was a stupid question, Arcadia knew that, but she was genuinely curious. They all nodded their heads and told her that they were, indeed, upset over her lack of memories. All of them responded, except Laxus, so Arcadia turned to look at him.

“I... I am upset over you losing your memories of me, I mean of all of us.” Laxus responded as he looked to the ground. 

“I am really sorry, Laxus,” Arcadia muttered sadly. 

“Stop apologizing. It isn't your fault.” Laxus looked the girl in the eyes to show that he was being sincere. 

“So, about the brand... what do you think we could do about it?” Mirajane questioned bringing the topic back to what they were all wanting to discuss. 

“I think we should just cut it off. I don't want it on my arm anymore.” Arcadia instantly responded causing everyone around her to look at her with concern. 

“Uh, let's put that as the last plan of action. Alright?” Eclipse responded nearly immediately. 

“I'll start researching how to remove it with magic,” Freed spoke up, causing Arcadia to nod her head in agreement. After it was clear that none of them had anything else to say, Mirajane, Evergreen and Eclipse pulled Arcadia to the side, away from the men. Arcadia had a bad feeling about what was about to be spoken about. 

“So, how are you feeling?” Mirajane questioned softly and friendly. 

“What we really want to know is how the night went with Laxus,” Evergreen stated before Arcadia could answer Mirajane's question. 

“Well... He slept on the couch and I slept in the bedroom. I spent most of my time upset because of how bad I feel. I feel terrible for Laxus because I can't be the person he cares about currently.” Arcadia explained simply as she looked between the three other girls. 

“Don't worry, Arcadia. Laxus is a strong man and he'll be okay.” Mirajane patted the girl's shoulder, trying to reassure her. Arcadia frowned for a second before smiling and nodding her head. She didn't know Laxus that well right now, but from what she could tell from him, Mirajane was right, he was a strong man. 

“Let's go to Freed and see if he has any ideas on how to remove the Raven Tail brand from your arm,” Evergreen stated as she guided Arcadia away from the other two. They were about to meet up with Freed when Natsu jumped in the way of their path. 

“Fight me, Arcadia!” Natsu yelled out clearly ready to just attack at any given moment. Arcadia took a step back in fright but before she could say anything, Natsu was whacked to the ground by Laxus. 

“Enough, Natsu. Leave Arcadia be.” Laxus demanded, causing the pink-haired male to nod his head in agreement as he saw stars. 

“Thank you, Laxus,” Arcadia muttered to which Laxus just grunted and went back to the bar where he and Bickslow were. Mirajane joined him over there and the two began to chat, but Arcadia couldn't hear what they were talking about. However, when Laxus smiled at something Mirajane said, Arcadia felt a strange feeling in her chest again, causing her to frown. “I'll be right back, Evergreen. I need to speak with Eclipse really quick.”

“Alright?” Evergreen responded in confusion. She watched as Arcadia hurried over to where the pink-haired girl was sitting. She was alone reading a book on potions. 

“Eclipse?”

“Yeah, what's up?” Eclipse closed her book and looked up at the frowning girl. “What's wrong?” Arcadia then sat down and sighed.

“I'm not really sure. I just feel a pain in my chest now that I saw Laxus smile because of Mirajane. I don't understand why I feel this way.”

“Hmm... Oh! You're jealous!” Eclipse smiled at Arcadia but that caused Arcadia to frown deeper. 

“Why would I feel jealous?”

“Your heart has probably remained the same and doesn't  
like Laxus talking to and smiling with another girl, even if it is Mira. You wouldn't normally feel that way, but your feelings must be all jumbled right now.” Arcadia then shook her head at the pink-haired girl. 

“No, that can't be. I don't even know Laxus or Mirajane. Why would I care about if they talk, smile or anything?” Arcadia then turned around and ran out of the guildhall. 

“Wait, Arcadia!” Eclipse got up from her table, but Arcadia was already out of the guildhall and gone from sight. 

“Why did she run away like that? What did you say to her?” Laxus demanded as he approached Eclipse. 

“She was just having emotional problems and she probably shouldn't be alone.” Eclipse cryptically responded to the man. 

“I'll go after her.” So, Laxus did just that. He smelled where Arcadia had gone and followed her path. He followed her scent to the park, finding the girl seated at the base of a tree. She looked fairly upset and had her knees brought up to her chest. She noticed him instantly and frowned deeper than she was before. 

“Go back to the guildhall,” Arcadia muttered as Laxus approached her. Instead of listening to her, Laxus decided to sit right next to her. That just caused Arcadia to sigh and look away from him.

“What's wrong?” To Laxus' question, he receives nothing but silence. The girl doesn't even look his way. Which then causes Laxus to sigh. He then leaned against the tree and waited until Arcadia was ready to talk to him. It took a few minutes of silence for the girl to finally open her mouth, but she still didn't look at him. 

“What are you going to do if I never regain my memories?” Arcadia practically whispered to the man next to her. Laxus had to think about that for a moment before responding to the girl. 

“I will continue to care for you, no matter what. If anything, we can make new memories together and maybe you could fall for me again.” 

“You're quite arrogant to think that I would just fall for you all over again.”

“It isn't arrogance, it's faith in our feelings for each other.” Laxus' words were shocking to the girl. He wasn't one to say such things unless he truly meant it. Which instantly brought tears to Arcadia's eyes. 

“I'm so sorry, Laxus.” Arcadia covered her face and tried to hide the fact that tears were now filling her eyes. 

“You shouldn't cry. I'm not good with crying people.”

“Yeah, I know. I'm sorry.” Arcadia then paused and wondered how she knew that. 

“How do you know that?” Laxus asked the question that she wondered as well. “Do you remember anything?”

“No, I just know that somehow. Maybe I just figured that because of the type of man you are?” 

“Even so, you shouldn't be able to remember the type of man I am.” 

“Good point...” Arcadia muttered as she finally looked at the man. It seemed like Laxus had something on his mind, so Arcadia began to speak again. “What's on your mind?”

“Do you remember your time with Ivan?” Laxus finally asked after a moment of thought. Arcadia looked at him with confusion before frowning deeper. 

“I do remember some things, but I doubt they were real. Most of the memories I have were neutral or good ones, but I somehow don't think that is true.”

“From what you told me, your memories of Ivan were negative and he caused you a lot of problems.” Laxus didn't want to explain any further. He didn't want to cause the girl to become upset or anything. 

“I see... Hey Laxus?”

“Yeah?”

“What about our life together? What was it like?” Arcadia looked to Laxus with curiosity in her eyes. 

“Where should I start?”

“The beginning, I guess.”

“We met when we were forced to work together for a job. The job was hunting down and taking down Raven Tail members. Our feelings for each other quickly grew. I found out immediately that you are a bad drinker and shouldn't be allowed to drink too much alcohol. I had to carry you back to our inn one night.” Laxus couldn't help but smile at that fond memory. “You also tried to leave me right before we moved in together. You wanted to leave because of all the messed up things that you supposedly caused, but I didn't care and don't care about that. I love you even with all the shit you've gone through and 'caused'.”

“You shouldn't love me,” Arcadia muttered as she looked to the ground in front of her. “You should move on.”

“That's impossible. I've never loved anyone before, so there's no coming back from my feelings now.” To Laxus' words, Arcadia's eyes filled with tears. 

“I know you told me to stop apologizing, but I truly am sorry that I forgot you and everything between us.”

“I know,” Laxus spoke up with a frown. “What do you want to do now? Where do you go from here?”

“I want to do as you said. I want to try to see if I can grow feelings for you again and hopefully my memories will return eventually.” Arcadia heard an audible sigh of relief coming from the man next to her, causing her to turn her head to look at him. He had a slight smile on his face. “What?”

“I'll work to gain your love back,” Laxus responded without actually answering her question. Arcadia decided to just let it go and smiled at him. 

“Alright, I wish you luck.” Laxus returned the girl's smile and the two sat there in silence for another few moments before Laxus stood up and held out his hand to Arcadia. 

“Let's return to the guild.” 

“Yeah, let's.” Arcadia reached up and took his hand, allowing him to pull her up to her feet. Neither of them were sure where things would lead them, but they had hope, which was something they didn't have a few minutes ago. So, it was a start and all they could currently ask for.


	14. Remembering

Once Laxus and Arcadia made it back to the guildhall, they split up and headed to their groups of friends. Laxus went to the bar where Freed was chatting with Mirajane, while Arcadia headed to Eclipse. 

“So, what happened while you were gone? You seem a bit happier than you were before. Well actually, a lot happier.” Eclipse spoke up as soon as Arcadia made her way to the table she was seated at. 

“Laxus and I talked. About my past and our past together. We also decided that we would work towards me falling back in love with him, in hopes that my memories will return one day.” Arcadia responded with a smile on her face. 

“That's amazing! I'm so happy for you! I hope things go well for the two of you!” Eclipse smiled at the girl and then got an idea. “Let's head to the bar to sit with Laxus and Freed. Maybe Freed has come up with something to help you.”

“Alright.” With that, the two girls did just as Eclipse suggested and headed to the bar. 

“Hello Arcadia, I'm glad to see you've returned in better spirits.” Freed addressed the redhead once they were close enough. 

“I'm glad as well. So, do you have any ideas on how to bring back my memories? Or to remove this brand?” Arcadia wanted to know immediately if the man had found anything. 

“Actually, I have come across something.” 

“What is it?” Laxus questioned immediately. 

“I read in a book about a potion that could potentially cause Arcadia to regain her memories. However, the side effects are death or a psychedelic trip that could cause some interesting reactions.” 

“So she could either die or trip balls?” Eclipse bluntly stated, causing Freed to pause for a moment before nodding his head. “I can't let her dri-”

“I'll drink it!” Arcadia cut off Eclipse as she took a step towards Freed. Eclipse wanted to argue, but Freed got down from the seat he was on and smiled at Arcadia. 

“Very well. Let's go retrieve the ingredients.” Hearing Freed say that caused both Eclipse and Laxus to frown as they were worried about what could possibly happen to Arcadia. With that, the 4 of them headed out of the guildhall and ventured around town to collect the things that Freed needed to make the potion. 

“Let's head to Arcadia's house in the forest. I have potion-making equipment there at her home.” Eclipse suggested to the group as they wondered where they should go to make the potion. 

“Why do you have potion-making equipment, and what exactly do you mean by that? What 'equipment' do you have?” Arcadia questioned instantly before anyone could agree with the girl. 

“Just your average cauldron and various other things. I just bought them yesterday and this morning. I have a potion that I want to make.” Eclipse didn't say why she wanted to make a potion for a reason, but Arcadia decided to push it. 

“Why do you want to make a potion?”

“I want to make something to erase memories, to reset Nova and remake her into a better person like she used to be.” 

“Oh...” Arcadia just nodded her head, a little scared at the girl's explanation. “Well, let's get going.” The others agreed and they headed to the little house in the forest where Adryn used to live. Arcadia was a little shocked at the house. She didn't expect it to be someplace where she used to live, but once she was in it, there was a feeling of familiarity. Instantly, Freed and Eclipse began to make the potion while Laxus and Arcadia sat on the couch together. 

“It would be nice if this potion would work and your memories came back,” Laxus stated as he looked at the girl next to him. She nodded her head and smiled at him. 

“It would be great... but I'm nervous about the side effects that could happen. I don't really want to die and I'm not sure if I'd like to have a trip right now.” Arcadia responded as the smile on her face faded. 

“Don't worry. I'll protect you.” 

“From something only I can see? Or from death? Thanks though.” Arcadia clearly didn't believe him, but she was glad about the man's want to protect her. For some reason, it still made her feel better. 

“Hey Arcadia, the potion is done. Are you sure you want to drink it?” Eclipse spoke up from the kitchen where the potion making was happening. 

“Well, you already made it, so I might as well drink it,” Arcadia responded simply as she stood up from the couch. Laxus followed her into the kitchen and watched as Freed handed the redhead the potion in a simple beer mug. 

“Are you sure about this?” Eclipse questions again before Arcadia can drink anything.

“I'm sure.” With that, Arcadia drank the whole mug of the potion. “Oh god, that's fucking gross!” Arcadia nearly threw it back up before glaring at Freed and Eclipse. “You two never said that it would taste so terrible!”

“Sorry, I figured you really wouldn't drink it if you knew how bad it was going to taste. Don't even get me started on what's in it.” Eclipse looked and sounded truly sorry, but that didn't make it all better. Arcadia was about to tell her something again, but everything around her began to change.

“I think... I think that I'm going to have a psychedelic trip now...” Arcadia muttered quietly as she turned away from the others. Everything around her slowly became neon colors that slowly began to swirl around her. Arcadia turned back to look at the others, only to see that they were now bright neon colors as well that were more like wavy monsters. Slowly growing louder was some type of soft music playing in the background, which served to horrify Arcadia. 

The others watching just watched as Arcadia's eyes grew wide and her face turn into a horrified look. So, worried about what she was seeing, Eclipse reached out and touched Arcadia's shoulder. She slowly was able to see and hear everything that was going on in Arcadia's mind. 

“Oh wow. You guys need to see this.” Eclipse then reached out to touch Freed, who then touched Laxus. As they were now all connected, they were all able to see the same scene and hear the same music that Arcadia was seeing and hearing. 

“I think she needs to sit down.” Freed states, immediately worried for the girl. So, they slowly and carefully guided Arcadia to sit down on the couch where she just continued to look around her horrified. 

“Guys, you're still there, right?” Arcadia questioned suddenly as she looked around her. She was no longer able to see them at all as they faded into the background of everything around her. 

“We're still here,” Laxus responded sounding normal to the other two, but to Arcadia, he sounded far away and he echoed a little bit. Before Arcadia could say another word, from behind the couch, gray, red and green little monsters crawled out.

“Hello, girl. Do you remember us?” The gray demon spoke up as the other two laughed. 

“Um, no, should I?” Arcadia responded a little scared. 

“Who are you talking to?” Freed questioned hoping that the girl could still hear him.

“There are these gray, red and green demon-like things that just appeared. They are nothing like the rest of the scenery around me.”

“Gray, red and green demons? That sounds like the demons you once saw while we were on the train. You drank a potion then too and hallucinated them. Why would they appear here, now?” 

“So you lost your memories? What a pathetic girl you are.” The gray demon stated as the other two began to mock Arcadia. 

“You truly don't deserve Laxus now, you wench.” The red demon snapped at Arcadia. 

“Wench? That's rude! Don't call me that!” Arcadia yelled back at the now laughing demon. 

“You should just die since you don't even know who you are.” The green demon whispered to her from right behind her. 

“Shut up! It's not like you know me!”

“Like you know yourself?” The gray demon questioned mockingly. 

“I... I might not know myself right now, but...”

“But what? Nothing! You should just drop dead!”

“What are the demons saying to you?” Laxus asked, bringing Arcadia out of her argument with the demons.

“They are telling me horrible things. Like that I should go die and that I'm pathetic.” Arcadia responded with a frown on her face. 

“Maybe you should go to sleep now. I think these hallucinations are going to hurt you, either mentally or physically.” Eclipse suggested as she moved closer to Arcadia. The redhead just nodded her head and then slowly laid down on the couch. Eclipse grabbed a blanket from the chair and laid it on the girl. “We'll be right here the whole time, don't worry.” 

“Thank you...” 

“Don't go to sleep now.” The red demon spoke as it laughed at the redhead. 

“You'll regret it.” All three demons stated in unison. Arcadia ignored them and drifted off to sleep.

~

About a couple of hours later, Arcadia woke up with a start causing her to fall off the couch with a thud. Eclipse reached Arcadia first who was now on her knees crying. 

“Arcadia, what's wrong?!” Eclipse was close to panicking now at the sight of the redhead sobbing. 

“I remember...” Arcadia couldn't get it out as she cried. 

“What's wrong?” Laxus demanded as he and Freed approached the two girls. Arcadia looked up at the two men and showed clear terror on her face. That alerted Laxus to what she'd remembered. “We should go, Freed.” Before Freed could say anything, Laxus pulled him out of the house with him. “I'll return in the morning.” With that, Laxus closed the door, leaving the two girls alone together. 

“What did she remember?” Freed questioned completely confused.

“I believe she remembered the assault that Ivan caused her to go through.” Laxus' thought was exactly right. While Freed and Laxus walked away, Arcadia explained to Eclipse the details of the assault and what she remembered. 

“I'm so sorry that you had to remember that, but on the bright side, you remembered something.” Eclipse was trying to be positive to the terrified girl. “How do you feel right now?”

“I feel a little better now that I realize that I'm awake and that was just a memory.  
I feel bad that I reacted so scared to Laxus and Freed. I remember how in the beginning, I didn't trust men and I didn't want to be touched. However, for some reason, I don't feel like that anymore. Despite how scared I just was of Freed and Laxus.” Arcadia explained to the pink-haired girl. 

“Well, Laxus helped you through your trauma and issues. He'd been slow with you and you only had begun sleeping in the same bed after you moved in together.”

“I see... Now I feel even worse for acting so scared of him. Though, I guess it's fine. From what I understand of Laxus, he is kind and gentle, so he'll forgive me for my fears.”

“Laxus... Kind and gentle? I guess with you he was.” Eclipse laughed at the thought of Laxus being so different with Arcadia. “So, are you tired? It's late now. We should probably go to bed”

“I guess I could sleep a little more.” Arcadia agreed with a shrug of her shoulders. “Let's share the bed. It's big enough for us. I don't particularly want to sleep on the couch again and I don't want you to either.”

“That's fine by me.” Eclipse nodded her head and then the two began to get ready for bed. Once ready, the two climbed into the bed and Arcadia quickly fell to sleep. Eclipse didn't sleep instantly, as she had trouble falling to sleep and staying asleep. So, she laid there for a little while before finally falling to sleep.

~

Arcadia awoke with a jolt causing Eclipse to shoot up in bed as well. 

“What's happening?!” Eclipse was starting to panic as she looked to Arcadia only to see the girl crying. “Are you alright?!”

“I... I remembered something else.” Arcadia sniffled as she wiped away her tears. 

“What did you remember?” Eclipse was no longer panicking, after hearing that nothing was completely wrong currently. 

“I was on a job when a whole group of men and Ivan surrounded me. They all attacked me and I was overpowered and taken away. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in chains somewhere I didn't recognize.”

“That must have been when Ivan kidnapped you from the job you were working on. He kept you there with him for, I think you said, 5 years.” Eclipse simply explained as she looked out the window. “It's still dark outside, let's go back to sleep.” With that, Eclipse laid down facing away from Arcadia. She was soon asleep this time while Arcadia stayed awake for a few minutes thinking over what she remembered. Soon though, she laid back down and fell to sleep. This time, Arcadia had another dream about Ivan, but it was more of a domestic part of their life rather than anything bad, so when Arcadia woke up, she didn't wake up in a panic like the last 2 times. 

“Hey, Eclipse?” Arcadia began as the two were eating breakfast in the morning. 

“What's up?”

“When we went back to sleep, I had a dream of Ivan again. This time, he and I were eating breakfast. We were talking about what we were going to do that day. From how I sounded, it seems like I had given up on my life and just accepted that I was going to be with him for the rest of my life. All because I thought I was protecting Nova, right? The dream ended with Ivan patting me on the head telling me how much of a 'girl good' I was.” Arcadia grimaced at the thought of Ivan putting his hands on her. It disgusted her completely. 

“I'm sorry that you are remembering things that you probably wouldn't want to remember, but it's good, right? That means Freed's potion worked.” 

“Yeah, I guess it's good.” Arcadia frowned and was about to say something else when there was a knock at the door. “I'll get it.” Arcadia hurried to the door and opened it, to see Laxus standing there. 

“Morning,” Laxus muttered, clearly sounding like he'd just woken up. 

“Good morning. Come on in, we were just having breakfast. Want some?” Arcadia led him to the kitchen where he accepted the offer for food, as he hadn't eaten anything quite yet. As he ate, Arcadia explained to him the two dreams that she'd had that night. He seemed to be just as disgusted with the second dream as Arcadia was. Once they were done with breakfast, they headed to the guildhall. Immediately, they headed over to Freed to fill him in on what Arcadia was going through. 

“So, you're slowly remembering things in your dreams?” Freed responded after Arcadia was done telling him what was going on. 

“Yeah. Things are slowly coming back to me.” Arcadia nodded her head as she spoke. 

“You'll most likely remember everything at your own pace. I'm glad.” 

“Hey guys, Master wants to see the Thunder Legion, Laxus, Arcadia and Eclipse. He has a job request for you 6.” Mirajane stated as she approached the group. 

“Alright, we're coming,” Eclipse responded simply as the 6 of them began to make their way over to where Master Makarov was seated. 

“Hello, children. A job has come in pertaining to Raven Tail. I figured I would ask you all if you wanted it before putting it on the job board.” Master Makarov spoke up as soon as all 6 of them were standing by him. 

“What is the job?” Arcadia asked the question that the others were thinking of. 

“You are to search for the remaining members of Raven Tail in a town not too far from here.”

“We'll take the job,” Laxus stated before anyone else could agree to take it. “Let's head out now.” 

“Right.” The other 5 agreed instantly. They then headed to their homes to get ready for the trip. 

“Do you think that we'll come across any trouble on our job?” Arcadia suddenly asked Laxus as they were in the bedroom of his apartment getting ready. 

“Most likely. Why, are you worried?” Laxus stopped packing his bad to look at the girl who was staring at the tank top in her hands.

“I'm... nervous to fight. I have no memory of how to use my dragon slaying magic anymore so I only have my pain magic. I feel pathetic to even admit that...” 

“It's alright, Arcadia. No matter what happens, I'll protect you.” That brought a smile to Arcadia's face. She turned to look at the man and smiled at him.

“Alright, I'll rely on you. You better not fail me.” Arcadia smirked at the man. She was clearly teasing him, which brought a smile to his face as well. The rest of the time they spent getting ready was in silence. Once they were ready, they headed out and met up with the others at the train station. They then boarded the train and began their journey. 

While on the train, Arcadia began to feel sick, so she decided to fall asleep, leaning against the window as she did. Unfortunately for her, she had another dream. This time, the dream was of the first time Ivan ever had her kill someone. It was the first time she'd ever killed a person in general. The woman screamed and cried as she used her pain magic on the woman. The woman begged for her life, but she still ended up dying a painful death. 

Seeing the woman take one last breath as she cried out, caused Arcadia to wake up in shock. She was breathing heavily which worried the others around her. 

“What's wrong? Did you have another dream?” Eclipse questioned instantly as she looked to her shocked friend. 

“Yeah, but I'd rather not talk about it. Please don't look into my mind either.” Arcadia responded as she turned to look back out the window. The rest of the trip, Arcadia remained awake and suffering from motion sickness, all the while she remained completely silent. The others could tell that something was bothering her, but no one dared to ask her about it, as she clearly didn't want to speak of her dream. 

“Do you think she'll be alright?” Evergreen whispered to Laxus who had been watching Arcadia since they got off the train a few moments before.

“She'll be fine,” Laxus responded simply, even though he wasn't too sure about that. 

“Okay, so I think we should go this way. I have a feeling that the people we are looking for are over here.” Eclipse pointed in the direction of the middle of town. It seemed a good enough place to start, so they followed Eclipse as they walked to the middle of town. 

Once they began to get closer, Eclipse was able to sense evil intent coming from someone or some people from the middle of the town where there was a little park. So, after warning the others, they headed there, only to find a little group of people there, with Nova standing in front of them as if they had been waiting for the 6 of them to arrive. 

“Hello, everyone. It's been a while.” Nova smirked at the group as they all looked to her with anger. “You were stupid to approach us. You will die here now.” 

“You are quite overconfident for someone who's plans haven't worked out up to now.” Arcadia snapped at the lilac-haired girl. 

“Oh?”

“My memories are returning. I'm starting to remember some things about my past.” 

“Have you remembered Serenity yet, or no?” Nova smiled as Arcadia's eyes widened. At the name 'Serenity', there were little flashes in Arcadia's mind. They were of a little girl with white hair and golden eyes, just like Arcadia. However, there was no recollection of who this mystery child was, but it sure infuriated Arcadia. 

“Who the hell is Serenity?” Arcadia demanded as she stepped forward, only to freeze in place. The other 5 realized that they couldn't move either. 

“You will die now, so who cares who Serenity is.” Nova laughed as she pulled out a dagger and began to approach Arcadia. She then paused and began to walk over to Laxus. “Maybe I'll kill him first.” 

“No, you won't!” Before Nova could fully get out of Arcadia's sight, the redhead began to use her pain magic on Nova, causing Nova to collapse to the ground. Her paralysis on the 6 was then released and they instantly began to fight with the group of people that had surrounded them now. 

Magic was thrown everywhere, along with various weapons and even bodies. However, once the dust cleared, Nova was nowhere to be seen. There were the bodies of the Raven Tail members laying on the ground, either unconscious or wishing they were, but  
no Nova. 

“Where did she go?!” Arcadia yelled out in frustration as she fell to her knees. She was exhausted from using her pain magic so much on various people. 

“Who the hell was Nova talking about? Who is 'Serenity'?” Eclipse questioned making Arcadia think about those flashes of a little girl. However, Arcadia quickly pushed those thoughts out of her mind and stood back up. 

“Let's get the Magic Council to take these people away.” Was all Arcadia muttered as she walked to a bench and sat down. She let the rest of them restrain the Raven Tail members while Laxus called for the Magic Council. 

Eventually, they came and took the Raven Tail members away to a jail to rot or whatever. Arcadia didn't care one bit. She was too focused on who that little girl was, but she didn't want Eclipse to read her mind and hear about what she remembered about Serenity. So, Arcadia didn't think about it for too much at one time. 

“Let's go get some food before we do anything else,” Bickslow stated after the Magic Council was gone. His babies, much to Arcadia's annoyance (though she didn't understand why it was so annoying), repeated, “Food! Food!”

“I agree. We should also go somewhere to formulate a plan on how we are going to capture Nova before she does anyone else damage.” Freed agreed with his friend. That settled it, they all began to wander around town before finding a tavern. They quickly went inside and ordered their food and drinks. 

“Arcadia, you shouldn't drink too much,” Laxus told the redhead as she began to sip at her beer.

“Alright.” Arcadia agreed, for now. “So, about getting Nova?”

“I believe we should split into 2 groups and search for her. She couldn't have gone very far, and I believe she would stay close by to mess with us again somehow.” Freed began as they all ate and drank. 

“I think that's a good plan. So you, the Thunder Legion, go as one group. While Eclipse, Laxus and I will go as another.” Arcadia cut in before Freed could say what groups they would go in. Freed just nodded his head, showing that it also was going to be his idea to go in those specific groups. 

“We should start tomorrow.”

“What, why? She might leave by then!” Eclipse was a little outraged at this comment by Freed. 

“The train ride and fight took a lot out of us. Should we go against her now, I fear we would lose. Especially if we were in our groups of 3.” To this, Eclipse grumbled something incoherent but ultimately nodded her head. So began their drinking, eating and more drinking for the girls. The men, however, didn't drink as much as the girls did. Eventually, all three girls ended up passing out together, despite Laxus telling Arcadia to not drink too much. 

“Did she drink more than she should out of spite?” Bickslow questioned Laxus who nodded his head. His babies then echoed, “Spite! Spite!”

“I believe so.” Laxus nodded his head in agreement, which ended up shaking Arcadia. 

“I don't... like doing... what I'm told...” Arcadia muttered drunkenly from her place leaning against Laxus. 

“Let's head to an inn.” Freed suddenly spoke up, seeing how it was clearly time for them to put the girls to bed. Evergreen was holding onto her chair like it was her lover, while Eclipse was muttering to herself about wiping someone's memory and remaking them. It was honestly a little concerning. Not to mention Arcadia, who was holding onto Laxus with her head against his shoulder. Laxus didn't seem to mind that though. 

“Alright, I'll carry Arcadia,” Laxus spoke up as he scooped up the redhead. Freed picked up Evergreen while Bickslow picked up Eclipse. The pink-haired girl fought him a little bit but eventually allowed him to peacefully carry her to a close-by inn. Once there, Freed got them 2 rooms with 3 beds each. The girls got one room while the men shared the other. 

That night, after being put to bed by Laxus, Arcadia fell into a deep drunken sleep with no dream. She then woke up in the morning feeling like complete shit. 

“Fuck, this sucks. Why did I drink that much?” Arcadia whispered to herself as she held her head. It was throbbing with pain as she felt sick to her stomach. 

“Why are you yelling?” Eclipse's voice caused Arcadia to jolt and quickly move to look at her friend. However, that caused Arcadia to feel even worse than before. 

“I don't believe I was yelling, but I'm sorry if I woke you up.” 

“Nah, I was already up. I feel like shit. You too, right?”

“Yeah.” 

“Me too.” Both girls whipped over to where Evergreen laid with her eyes still closed. Evergreen slowly sat up and looked to the two other girls. “We shouldn't have gotten so drunk” Before either Eclipse or Arcadia could respond, there was a knock at their door. “How do they always know when we are awake?” 

“I'll get it,” Arcadia muttered as she climbed out of bed and stumbled to the door. She slowly opened it to reveal Freed standing there with a large bottle in his hand. “Hello, Freed. What is it and how did you know we were awake?” 

“This is a potion for hangovers. This should help you three get back on your feet.” Freed didn't even bother explaining how they knew that the girls were awake. He just turned around and headed back to his own room. 

“I guess we're supposed to drink some of this?”

“Guess so,” Eclipse muttered as she took the bottle from Arcadia's hands. She took a few sips of it to taste it. Once she determined that it wasn't as gross as it looked, she drank a little more. After that, the other two drank some of it until it was gone. Its effects were nearly immediate. The girls began to feel a lot better and were soon getting ready for the day.


	15. Serenity

After the girls were ready, they met up with the men outside of the inn. They quickly went to eat and then split up and went to their separate groups. After they were apart and headed in their own way, they realized that the dragon slayers shouldn't have been in the same group together. 

“So, we both can smell where Nova has gone, right?” Arcadia questioned to Laxus as they followed the scent. 

“Yeah. One of us should have gone with the Thunder Legion.” Laxus noted as he looked to the girl next to him. 

“Let's get going before she leaves wherever she is right now.” Eclipse butted into their conversation. 

“Right!” Arcadia agreed as the 3 of them hurried off following the scent of Nova. It led them through the town and to the outskirts of the town. They were led to a cute little home there set in the forest. Once they were close enough, they could smell someone else inside other than Nova, so they hesitantly entered the home. There, they found a child sitting on the floor playing with blocks. The little girl had white hair and golden eyes, just like from Arcadia's flashes in her mind. Meanwhile, Nova was just sitting on the couch watching the little girl. 

“Oh, hello, Laxus, Eclipse, and Arcadia. This is Serenity.” Nova stated as she looked to the group casually. 

“Who is this child and why do you have her?!” To Arcadia's questions, Nova just laughed and shook her head. 

“I can't believe you could forget about her. You are cruel. How can a mother forget her own child?” Was all Nova said in return. 

“What the fuck do you mean by that?! Are you telling me that this child is mine?!” Arcadia's yelling caused the girl on the floor to hurry into Nova's arms crying. 

“Now, now, you've upset her.” Nova then began to pat the child on the back comfortingly, or at least it was supposed to be. Meanwhile, Arcadia was beginning to hyperventilate and Laxus was just standing there in shock. 

“How do we know what you say is true?! Give us proof that Serenity is Arcadia's child!” Eclipse demanded instantly as she took a step towards Nova. 

“Fine,” Nova muttered as she picked up the child. She then carried Serenity over to the other 3 adults. “Look, Serenity's eyes are the exact same as Arcadia's. If that doesn't show proof then I don't know what will.” 

“They are the same...” Eclipse admits but doesn't really want to admit it. 

“Oh... my... god...” Arcadia gasped out as she took a step backward. She began to rake through her memories to figure out when she had a child, but nothing came up. Until she thought of the assault she suffered. 

“Well, have fun with parenthood,” Nova muttered as she set the child down. She then walked right out the door before anyone could stop her. Eclipse hurried after her, but only found air left behind, meaning she most likely teleported away. 

“Um... Serenity?”

“Yes, mommy?” The little girl responded, causing Arcadia to jolt. 

“How are you a little girl? I... the only time I could have had you, was so long ago.” 

“I was in a lacrima for a while, frozen in time until Aunty Nova was ready to release me.” Serenity responded as she smiled up at Arcadia, who was on the verge of panicking again. 

“Do you know who your father is?” Eclipse asks the next logical question.

“Nope. No one can be for sure since so many people were involved in the incident.” Serenity clearly knew about the assault, but probably didn't realize that it was such a horrible thing. 

“I... I can't do this...” Laxus suddenly muttered to himself. He then began to leave the house.

“Wait Laxus!” Arcadia took a step forward, only for Laxus to snap at her.

“Give me some time alone!” Hearing Laxus' tone so harsh brought tears to Arcadia's eyes, but she wasn't totally sure why. 

“Why was the tall man so upset?” Serenity questioned in a small, sad voice.

“Well, everyone right now is a little confused and upset, so he was just reacting to his feelings.” Eclipse gently explained to the confused child. 

“I'm sorry.” Serenity looked like she was going to cry, but Arcadia dropped to her knees and hugged the child. 

“It isn't your fault, Serenity,” Arcadia muttered to the young girl who was crying now, believing that everything was her fault. However, the tears quickly stopped and were replaced by a smile on Serenity's face. 

“Let's head back to the inn. Maybe the others are there.” Eclipse suggested only for Arcadia to nod her head. She decided to carry the young girl who was clinging onto her now. Once the 3 of them made it back to the inn, they saw the others, minus Laxus. 

“Who is the child?” Evergreen asked immediately with confusion written on her face and in his voice. 

“Let's head to our room, then I'll explain.” Arcadia then led the others to the girls' room and sat on her bed. She explained everything to the Thunder Legion, up to where Laxus left them out of anger. 

“Should we go look for Laxus?” Freed questioned as if that was the most important part of what Arcadia had said to them. 

“He'll return eventually. I'm sure of it.” Eclipse responded, brushing off Freed's worries. 

“So... You have a daughter...” Evergreen muttered to Arcadia as she dealt with the shock of it all. 

“Yeah. I guess so.” Arcadia responded simply as she looked to Serenity. The little girl was seated on the ground coloring with stuff she was given from Eclipse's bag. Eclipse was an artist, so she had drawing and coloring utensils with her at all times. 

“Why do you think Serenity was let out of the lacrima now of all times?” Freed asked suddenly. 

“I was let out when mommy and Laxus became a couple. I was then raised for a little while by Nova and this scary man.” Serenity spoke up as she turned her attention to the adults. 

“Was his name 'Ivan'?” 

“I think so. I never liked him, or Nova. They were weird together and to me. It was gross. They tried to get me to call them 'mother' and 'father', but that's not important anymore, I'm just happy to be reunited with my true mommy.” Hearing those words caused Arcadia to become conflicted. 

“I'm so sorry that I forgot about you. Though, I wonder if Adryn even remembered you at all.”

“It's not your fault for not remembering me. You were drugged all those months and then once I was born, I was taken away from you.”

“How do you know all of this?” Freed questioned instantly, a little shocked that a young child knew about drugging someone.

“Nova and Ivan told me all about it.” 

“I see.” Just then, the door to the room opened up to reveal Laxus standing there. “Laxus!” The Thunder Legion was instantly at his side as he walked into the room.

“Where have you been?” Evergreen demanded as she looked up at the man who had a sour look on his face. 

“I was trying to find Nova's scent. I caught it only to lose it in the middle of town.” Laxus responded as he walked past his friends to sit on one of the beds. He sat on the one furthest from the bed Eclipse and Arcadia were sitting on. Despite his obvious avoidance of Arcadia, she was glad to see him. She'd been worried about what he was doing and where he was going. Mostly though, she was worried about what was going on inside his mind. However, Arcadia didn't want to push him, so she made no move to approach him. 

“How did you lose her scent?” Freed asked curiously. 

“I think she teleported away.” 

“Unless she has somehow learned it later on after she 'died', she isn't supposed to have that magic,” Eclipse muttered mostly to herself. 

“She might have someone who is with her to teleport her to wherever she wants to go,” Arcadia suggested, causing Eclipse to nod her head in agreement. 

“I wish we had for sure answers on Nova. We need to try harder to capture her or something.” Eclipse muttered angrily. At this, Arcadia just sighed and got up from the bed she'd been sitting on. “Where are you going, Arcadia?” 

“I need some air. I'm going to take a walk.” The redhead responded simply as she left through the door. She could sense that she was being followed, but she didn't bother turning around. She could smell that it was Laxus following her. So, she led him through the halls and outside of the inn. They walked to an alley and only then did Arcadia stop walking and finally turn to face the man behind her. She was a little nervous, as the last time they spoke, Laxus had snapped at her. “Laxus?”

“We need to talk,” Laxus spoke up finally, causing a pit of doom to begin to grow in Arcadia. She didn't know what he wanted to say, but she knew that she was terrified of what he could possibly be thinking at that moment. 

“Laxus, I swear that I had no memory of Serenity. I honestly don't even remember being pregnant in the first place, and Serenity said that Adryn probably didn't even remember it all either. So I don't think I purposefully kept anything from you.” 

“I know. It isn't your fault and I shouldn't have snapped at you.” 

“It's perfectly understandable for you to be upset with me due to the circumstances.”

“Honestly, I am confused about where to go and what to do now,” Laxus admitted as he looked away from Arcadia and up to the sky.

“...Did... did you stop loving me over this?” Arcadia didn't truly want the answer to that, as she was scared of what his answer was. However, her terror disappeared when Laxus met her eyes once more and shook his head at her. 

“Of course I haven't, but I am a little unsure of what I feel towards the situation.”

“Laxus, I'm so sor-”

“Don't. I told you to stop apologizing to me.” Laxus' words were a little harsh, but Arcadia could tell that he didn't mean for them to come out like that. 

“What can I do to make it up to you?” 

“Just... just remember everything.” With that, Laxus turned away from her and began to walk back tot he inn. He paused and looked behind him, seemingly wanting Arcadia to follow after him. So, she did. With Arcadia trailing behind him, the two made their way back to the room the others  
were in. Once inside, Arcadia made her way to Eclipse's side once more. 

“So, what should we do now?” Arcadia questioned her friend. 

“We need to figure out a way to prove that Serenity is your child. The eyes aren't a solid way to prove that she is your child.” Eclipse responded simply. 

“I believe I can help with that.” Freed began as he approached the two girls. “I think I can make and enchantment circle that could tell the people standing inside of it if they were related or not.” 

“Let's try it!” Arcadia hurriedly responded. Freed nodded his head and pulled out his sword to begin writing the enchantments. Once they were done, they had Freed and Bickslow stand in the circle first, only for the enchantment to say they were not related. Then, Eclipse and Evergreen stood in the circle, for the enchantment to tell them as well that they were not related. So, taking that it works for at least people who weren't related, Arcadia and Serenity entered the circle. The runes instantly began to glow a different color and tell them that they were, indeed, related. 

“So, do you believe that you are my mommy now?” Serenity questioned as she looked up to Arcadia. The redhead just paled a little bit and walked tot he bed to sit down. It seemed like it all was finally hitting her and she was slightly panicking now. 

“This... this is all so much...” Arcadia whispered to herself, even though she knew that everyone else in the room could hear her. She then shot up and stood up once again before turning to face Serenity. “I'll be a mother to you, Serenity. I don't really know how and I probably won't be the best, but I will try.”

“That's all I can ask for.” Serenity then threw herself at Arcadia and the two hugged for a few moments. Once they separated, Freed began to speak. 

“I think we should call it a day and get some rest. A lot has happened and I think it would be best for us all to get a good night's rest.” Freed told the group. After a moment of thought, everyone agreed and they all said their goodnights to the men as they returned to their room. Serenity sleeps in Arcadia's bed that night. It seemed like the child got good rest, while Arcadia was up every hour, meaning she didn't really have a dream that night. 

~

The next morning, everyone woke up around the same time and got ready for the day. They then headed to a place to eat and began to figure out their next move. 

“How can we hunt down Nova if she is teleporting with someone?” Arcadia questioned as they all ate their food. 

“Well, I think I have a way.” Serenity spoke up from her seat between Eclipse and Arcadia. 

“What is your idea?” 

“If Aunty Eclipse uses her telepathic magic to get a link to Nova, then she might be able to track her through that link.”

“How did you come up with this idea?” Freed wondered after Serenity was done with her explanation. 

“It just came to me.” The little girl shrugged and then went back to her food. That worried Arcadia, but she didn't choose to say anything. So, they all quickly finished eating and headed out of the place they were eating. They made their way into an empty alley where Eclipse could search for her sister through her mind. After a few minutes, Eclipse connected with Nova. 

'Nova, we need to talk.' Eclipse mentally spoke to her younger sister. 

'How did you find me?!' Nova responded sounding a little panicked. She quickly recovered and began to speak again before Eclipse could say anything. 'Don't talk to me, I have nothing to say to you.'

'Well, I have something to say to you.' Eclipse snapped back instantly. 

“What's she saying?” Evergreen questioned breaking Eclipse's concentration. 

“Nothing yet. She doesn't want to talk to me.” Eclipse responded sounding a little annoyed.

'What do you want to say to me?' Nova finally responded after a moment of contemplation. 

'I can't believe that you had been keeping Serenity to yourself. What were you going to do with her? Were you going to use her against Adryn one day?'

'Who cares about what I was going to do with that rape baby? It's my business, not yours.'

'Who is Serenity's father? Do you even know?' 

'Why should I tell you?' Nova snapped instantly defensive towards her sister. 

'We deserve to know.'

“Fine! Serenity gets her hair color from her father. He is an international serial killer who was once with Raven Tail before he moved onto another country. I won't tell you his name.'

“Well? What's she saying?!” Arcadia questioned now, growing irritated with her friend. Eclipse held her hand up and closed her eyes. She began to try to see through nova's eyes. It was only possible with an extremely strong mental link, which Eclipse now figured that she had with Nova. 

'Nova, why did you bring Serenity out of the lacrima she was in?' Eclipse questioned as she tried to get the link stronger. 

'I wanted to use her to ruin Adryn and Laxus' relationship, and it seemed to work well.'

“Found her!” Eclipse suddenly shouted to her friends. She was able to see through Nova's eyes and recognize a shop that was only in the town that was a few towns away from the one they were currently in. So, she explained it to the group and they headed to the train station. 

'You won't get away with your actions, you know that, right?' Eclipse spoke up finally to her sister. However, Nova never bothered to respond. It seemed like Nova had gotten tired of speaking with her sister. 

As soon as they got onto the train, Laxus and Arcadia immediately began to feel sick. Arcadia, not wanting to sleep, decided that she was just going to talk and ignore her feelings of sickness. Laxus and Adryn sat next to each other while Eclipse and Serenity sat across from them, with the Thunder Legion seated in the seats next to them. 

“So Laxus, what are we going to do now? We had already decided that I would try to grow feelings for you, but now Serenity is in the mix. Do you even want to continue with that or do you want to move on?” Arcadia questioned the man next to her as she watched Serenity lean against Eclipse and begin to drift off to sleep. 

“I was thinking... You've accepted Serenity as your own, and I should as well.” Hearing those words from Laxus caused Arcadia's heart to skip a beat. 

“Wh-What?” Arcadia muttered in disbelief. Serenity instantly perked up and began to listen in to their conversation, along with the others around them. 

“I still love you, and if you are going to be a mother to Serenity, then I should be the father.” Laxus' words left no discussion. He clearly wasn't joking either. Hearing this, Arcadia began to have flashes in her mind of a time where Adryn and Laxus were discussing having children. Arcadia wasn't sure when they'd discussed it, but it had apparently happened before everything blew up in their faces. 

“Laxus?” Arcadia slowly began with confusion. 

“What is it?” Laxus seemed to be a little worried since Arcadia didn't say whether she was alright with him being the father to Serenity or not. 

“Did you an Adryn ever talk about having children?” 

“...We did. Why? Did you remember something?” 

“I did. I saw you and Adryn talking about having children. When did that happen?” 

“We talked about it during our first month together.” 

“Wait, why did you two talk about children, during your first month? Isn't that a little too soon?” Bickslow butted in from his seat across the way. Bickslow's babies echoed him, saying “Too soon! Too soon!” 

“We thought we would get there someday.” Laxus simply responded as he looked out his window. Hearing him say that caused pain in Arcadia's chest. She didn't like hearing him speak of things like that in the past tense. So, with hearing Laxus' words, everyone became silent for the remainder of the trip. Eventually, though, they got there and got off the train. 

“Okay, guide us to where Nova is,” Evergreen spoke to Eclipse who just nodded her head and began to wander through the streets of the town until she came across the place Nova was when she saw through her eyes. The group then began to ask around to find Nova and figured out that she was in the only inn in town. 

“Let's hurry and get there before she goes somewhere else!” Eclipse called out to her friends as they all began to hurry towards the inn. They made it there and pretended to have rented a room only to use Eclipse's sensing abilities to search for the room where Nova was staying at. It wasn't too hard to find out which one it was and they made their way to the room. Eclipse knocked on the door and when Nova answered, they all piled in the room and Freed instantly put a barrier of runes surrounding Nova, to the girl's surprise. 

“What the hell is this?!” Nova demanded angrily as she looked at the group of people surrounding her. She began to pound at the barrier, only causing herself to be shocked by it. “Come on, this isn't funny! You need to let me out of here!”

“Be quiet!” Eclipse snapped at her sister as she began to look around the room. She passed a chair through the barrier to allow her sister to sit on something instead of standing. “Sit down and shut up.” 

“Fuck off!” Nova yelled back at them as they all began to look around her room. They found black magic books and other books on how to bring someone back to life. 

“What the hell is this? What's up with all this shit to bring someone back to life?” Arcadia demanded as she approached the girl in the runes. 

“I am going to bring Ivan back to life.” 

“Why?!” 

“Because I love him and he loves me!” Nova screamed out to Arcadia. 

“Ivan was a manipulator and he only loved himself! Possibly Adryn too, due to his obsession over her, but you get my point!” Eclipse angrily yelled at her sister. Hearing that brought disgust to Arcadia and Laxus' faces. Neither liked thinking about how Ivan was obsessed with Adryn. Arcadia didn't like thinking about such things and Laxus hated remembering  
all the shit that Ivan had put them through. 

“You are a vile fool, Nova!” Serenity began from Arcadia's side. “You are also an idiot for having feelings for a monster!” To that, Nova laughed at the little girl. 

“That would mean Laxus is a vile fool as well since he has feelings for a girl who has committed countless murders all for my sake,” Nova responded with a smirk on her face. Hearing that caused Arcadia to begin to feel terrible. She could vaguely remember the murders she's committed for Nova's sake. She didn't like thinking about those things because she knew how much of a fool she was now to do such things to save a girl who didn't want to be saved. 

“Adryn did what she had to do to protect who she loved.” Laxus began from his spot next to the conflicted redhead. “Just as I will do the same thing to protect Adryn, no, Arcadia.” Nova then laughed at the man. 

“You are the true idiot for falling for someone as tainted as Arcadia. I can't believe you could still love her after finding out she has a kid.” 

“That's because, unlike your love for Ivan, Laxus' love for Arcadia is true!” Eclipse snapped instantly to her sister. That clearly pissed Nova off and she began to glare at her sister. 

“How dare you say that!? You know nothing of my feelings for Ivan!” Nova began to scream various things. Some were incoherent and some were understandable. However, the group just ignored her screams and moved over to the black magic supplies. While there, Eclipse noticed that there were a few ingredients that she needed for the potion that she'd been planning on making earlier for her sister. 

“Hey, Freed?” Eclipse began as she looked to the green-haired man. 

“Yes?” Freed responded simply as he turned to the girl.

“Can you help me make a potion?”

“What kind of potion?” Arcadia questioned from her spot now next to Eclipse. 

“This potion will completely wipe Nova's memories. Meaning she would lose her personality, memories and well, everything. She would become a blank slate that we could mold to make her a better person.” 

“Alright. I'll help.” Freed agreed instantly as he approached Eclipse. Arcadia and the others then went away from them to give them space. They all needed to keep an eye on Nova anyway. However, questions suddenly popped into Arcadia's mind. 

“Nova? Why do you love Ivan? Why are you so willing to do horrible things for his sake?” Arcadia asked the girl who was no longer screaming and was sitting in the chair again. 

“I just... I just wanted to be his favorite, but I couldn't because he was so focused on you and your life.” Nova responded hesitantly. However, instead of pitying the girl, Arcadia got mad. 

“I never asked for him to care about me!” Arcadia yelled back to the girl. 

“You should be grateful that Ivan cared for you! He didn't care about anyone, so you were special to him!” 

“If that's true, then why did you say that he loved you? If he didn't care about anyone, that means he didn't care about you either.” Hearing that, Nova began to cry. She put her hands over her face and she began to speak, even though it was muffled. 

“I was just a toy for Ivan to use at his whim... He never cared about me at all...” After Nova spoke, everyone in the room began to pity her. Even so, they all knew that she needed to drink Eclipse's potion. She needed to be changed, no matter what.

“Please Nova, you need to change your ways. You need to stop all the things you're going.” Arcadia practically begged to the lilac-haired girl. However, Nova just lifted her head and laughed at Arcadia. 

“You're a pansy, you know that?” Nova then changed gears and smiled at Arcadia. “So, how'd your relationship with Laxus going?”

“Well, it isn't great, but it's better than when I first became Arcadia, so there's that.” 

“You know, Laxus is only staying with you in hopes you become Adryn again one day. However, that's impossible due to the strength of the potion that I used on you.” Nova then thought for a moment and spoke up again. “While you will remember your time as Adryn, you will never fully be that person again. Plus, those memories will never feel truly like your own.” 

“I will continue to remain by Arcadia's side. No matter what.” Laxus stated simply as he approached the two girls with Serenity at his side. 

“What are you going to do when Arcadia won't let you touch her in more of an intimate way?” 

“That's none of your business.” Hearing Laxus' words, Nova just laughed at him. 

“I trust Laxus. I know he isn't like the men that attacked me.” Those words seemed to confuse Nova, so Arcadia continued. “I remember the attack and at first I was affected by it, but I don't feel the full emotions from it anymore. It's as if I've finally gotten over it, the best I could.”

“That's because you aren't Adryn. You didn't go through it as she did.” Nova simply responded. That seemed to get inside of Arcadia's head. She began to wonder if Nova was right. Maybe she isn't Adryn and never could be. At the confused look on Arcadia's face, Nova began to laugh. 

“Shut up!” Arcadia yelled at the girl instantly, but that seemed to make Nova laugh even more. Before Arcadia could respond angrily, Eclipse and Freed walked over and the girl was holding the potion in her hands. 

“The potion is made. Nova, this will wipe away your memories. If it works right, you'll end up like a baby without any knowledge of how to do anything an intelligent person can do.” Eclipse explained to her sister. Hearing this, Nova began to pale. She was finally realizing the situation she was in. 

“Listen, if you don't force me to drink that and let me go, I'll tell you the potion to reverse the one I gave Adryn, which turned her into Arcadia.” Nova was clearly on edge now. She didn't want to have herself erased completely, so she was willing to do anything to avoid it. 

“How do we know you're telling the truth? How do we know you won't give us a false potion that would kill Arcadia?” Evergreen questioned from her place next to Bickslow. 

“I'll go through her mind to see if she's telling the truth or not,” Eclipse responded simply as she turned her attention to her sister. She began to search through her mind only to see that Nova was telling the truth. “Oh wow. You're actually telling the truth. First, you give us the information about the potion, then I won't make you drink this one.”

“...Fine. Give me some paper and I'll write down the ingredients and how to make it, but seriously, don't make me drink anything and release me afterward.” Nova clearly didn't want to do it like that, but she still understood that she needed to do anything to get out of the situation she was currently in. Arcadia had hope for the first time in a while that she might actually become Adryn again. She just hoped that everything turned out alright. She didn't want to let Laxus down any more than she'd already had.


	16. Realization

After Eclipse pulled out a few pieces of paper and a writing utensil, she carefully handed it to Nova through the runes. The group watched as Nova began to write down the information about the potion to undo what she did to Adryn. The group around her watched as Nova wrote as if doubting every word she wrote down. However, after a few minutes, Nova was done and was holding out the paper to the group. 

“Here. These are the ingredients and instructions to make the potion. Do with it as you will.” Nova grumbled as Arcadia took the paper and began to read it. “Now, release me!”

“Don't release her,” Laxus spoke to Freed instantly. Nova's head snapped to look at the man.

“What the hell do you mean?! We had a deal!” Nova was enraged immediately as she screamed at Laxus. 

“What if the potion you gave us is poison and will kill Arcadia. We can't let you go while that's a possibility.” Laxus explained to the angry girl. Nova then began to yell incoherently as the group around her began to talk.

“The Thunder Legion, you guys head out and collect the ingredients on this list. The rest of us will stay here and keep an eye on Nova.” Eclipse spoke up, ignoring her sister's screams. 

“Alright,” Freed responded simply as he and the other two agreed as well. They quickly headed out of the room and left the others to watch Nova. 

“Now then, let's stop the yelling. I'm sure we can have a perfectly normal conversation now, right Nova?” Eclipse muttered to her sister. Nova sat back down on the chair with a pout. 

“Fine.” Nova then turned her attention to the little girl. “So, Serenity, how have you been?” 

“Back off. I don't want to talk to you anymore.” Serenity responded simply as she hid behind Laxus. That brought a laugh out of the lilac-haired girl. 

“Oh come now, you shouldn't talk to your former mother like that.” Nova's voice was mocking to the little girl. It infuriated her, making her come out from behind Laxus' legs. However, before Serenity could say a word, Arcadia spoke up. 

“You were never Serenity's mother! You should stop talking before I walk in there and punch you!” Arcadia snapped angrily. She was defensive now and hated Nova telling Serenity that she was once her mother. 

“How is Serenity going to be raised?” 

“We will raise her together,” Laxus responded simply, stepping in front of Serenity protectively. That seemed to hit a nerve for Nova. She instantly stood up and glared at the man. 

“Why are you so willing to accept Arcadia and her daughter?!” Nova yelled out angrily. She just didn't understand why he accepted them so easily. 

“Arcadia is someone I deeply care for, so I'm willing to accept anything with her, as long as it's within reason. Meaning, Serenity was within reason.” Laxus explained though he wasn't sure why exactly he was telling this to her. It was completely out of character to admit such things to people that he wasn't even close to. However, he felt it necessary to explain to the lilac-haired girl. However, she just laughed at him. 

“You know, Adryn was keeping this, Serenity, from you. Meaning, she'd been lying to you all along.” 

“That's nearly impossible! You said it yourself that Adryn was so drugged that she probably didn't even remember being pregnant!” Serenity yelled out, stepping out from behind Laxus once again. 

“Shut up! Mind your own business, you little brat! I should have killed you when I had the chance!” Nova's harsh words caused tears to form in the little girl's eyes. Instantly, Laxus and Arcadia were at Serenity's side. 

“You have no right to yell at her and tell her anything like that.” Laxus snapped at the lilac-haired girl. In return, Nova just laughed at them. 

“Are you seriously going to raise Serenity together?” 

“Yes, we are and we will raise her better than you and Ivan ever could have,” Arcadia informed the girl, who immediately frowned and grew angry with Arcadia. 

“How dare you!? You have no idea what kind of parents Ivan and I would have been!” 

“Ivan was a fucked up man who abused everyone in his life! He shouldn't have even been allowed to live as long as he did!” Arcadia's words caused an immediate reaction with her mind. Instantly, the memory of a scene popped into her head. Arcadia saw Ivan screaming at Nova and Eclipse while Adryn hurried to them to stop him from hitting them, only to have Adryn smacked away to the ground instead. She then witnessed Ivan hitting Nova repeatedly while Eclipse tried to get him away from her younger sister. 

“Arcadia?” Laxus' voice brought the girl out of her trance. “Are you alright?”

“Nova, how could you ever fall in love with a man who would physically abuse you in such a way? He attacked you, I remember that happening and I remember hearing you screaming for him to stop as Eclipse tried to help you.”

“Those weren't attacks, those were punishments of love due to me acting out, just as you and Eclipse also received such punishments of love for the times you acted out.” Nova simply explained while looking confused over Arcadia's words. 

“How the fuck does being physically punched and kicked were 'punishments of love'?!” Eclipse bursts out from her spot angrily. She was now approaching her sister. “Plus, does that mean that Adryn's assault was the same? A 'punishment of love'?!” 

“Ivan loved the three of us dearly. He'd never do anything to truly hurt us. You know that.”  
Nova simply stated as she smiled at her sister.

“Ivan caused me and Adryn to be put through some pretty fucked up things, causing a whole hell a lot of trauma!” Arcadia began to yell at the girl in the runes. Nova turned to look at her a little shocked that she was yelling now. “I still have to live with the pain he caused us, in the form of you fucking up our life! I never asked for that monster to love me and nothing he did to me was out of love or anything like that! He was just some insane obsessed man who didn't care about anything or anyone! There wasn't a single speck of good in him!”

“Shut up! Ivan was a great man!” Nova screamed back at the girl, taking a step forward and getting close to the runes that trapped her. Suddenly and surprising everyone in the room, Arcadia instantly swung her arm through the barrier and punched Nova right across the face, sending the girl to the ground. 

“Somewhere along the way, you shattered. You aren't the same person that you originally were. No matter what you say to explain that.” It then hit everyone. If Nova wasn't the same person, then there was a possibility that maybe she'd drank the same potion that Adryn had, changing her personality and memories to be in favor of Ivan. “Nova, your mind isn't right. You might be under the same effects of the potion that you gave Adryn.”

“No, that isn't possible!” Nova muttered as she held a hand to her cheek that was now throbbing in pain. Arcadia didn't look like it, but she was strong and caused some damage with her punch. “Ivan would never hurt me like that!”

“That's exactly the type of thing that Ivan would do,” Arcadia argued back to the girl who was now standing back up. However, before Nova could argue back again, the Thunder Legion walked through the door. 

“We have collected all of the ingredients. We're ready to make the potion.” Freed declared as they walked into the room and made their way to the area where the potion making equipment was. The three of them sat down the ingredients and then looked around the room. “Have we missed something?”

“I want you and Eclipse to make the potion, but for Nova, not me.” Arcadia declared immediately which shocked Eclipse and Laxus. 

“What do you mean? Don't you want to go back to your old self?” Eclipse questioned worried about her best friend. 

“I do, but I want Nova to drink it first, then if she goes back to her old self, I'll drink the potion.”

“That seems fair, do we have enough ingredients for 2 potions?” Eclipse turned her attention to Freed who looked back to the ingredients and nodded his head. 

“We got extra just in case we messed up on the first batch. We just now have to make no mistakes in order to make the two potions.” Freed informed the group. 

“I'm not drinking anything! You have it all wrong!” Nova snapped as she sat down on her chair. 

“I'm sure you've drunk the same potion as Adryn did, so you will drink this one to cure yourself. No arguments.” Eclipse growled back at her sister. Nova began to respond to her sister, but Eclipse and Freed just made their way to the table and began to mix the potion ingredients according to Nova's written instructions. 

“Come on Arcadia. You can't let them force me to drink anything. You know I'm not under any influence of anything. We were close once before you let these people taint your mind.” Nova's words caused Arcadia to look down at the ground. “You know I'm right, Arcadia.”

“Enough.” Laxus then stepped in front of Arcadia. “You have nothing over Arcadia. You have no hold on her anymore. She makes her own decisions.”

“Right. Well, she'll decide to choose me in the end.” Nova smirked at the man, who only frowned and glared at her in return. “Adryn and Arcadia will always love me, no one else.”

“You're completely wrong.” Evergreen stepped up to the rune barrier, causing Nova to turn to look at her. 

“We've seen how Adryn and Arcadia have acted around Laxus. She loves him, probably more than she ever loved you.” Bickslow stated without his babies echoing anything in return. However, Nova laughed at Bickslow and Evergreen before speaking to them.

“You know, Laxus and Adryn only got together due to Ivan's planning.” Nova chuckled as she spoke, but was shut down by Laxus. 

“It doesn't matter how we got together. It only matters that we love each other and are together now.” Laxus' words were a little out of character, but he knew that he needed to speak them. 

“What doesn't matter is that Arcadia doesn't remember anything about  
you people anyway.” 

“You're wrong. With or without memories, I care about Laxus and the others. I'm probably even in love with him at this moment.” Arcadia spoke up as she peaked around Laxus to look at the lilac-haired girl. Nova was now looking back at Arcadia with shock on her face. The others around them all also were looking with shock at Arcadia. “I'm probably in love with Laxus, due to how great he's been with me. He's been patient, caring and understanding. He hasn't been pushy with me at all and he's only ever gotten angry with me once due to when Serenity came about, but that was understandable.” Arcadia then paused and began to speak once again. “I think those were the reasons that Adryn fell in love with Laxus in the first pace. You know, that probably means that he and I were supposed to be together if I've fallen in love with him all over again. Even without my memories of him.” 

“Arcadia,” Laxus muttered as he turned around and then pulled the girl away from the others to have a slightly more private conversation with Arcadia. “Are you serious?” 

“Yeah, I am. I don't honestly remember what it feels like to truly be in love, so I'm not 100% sure, but for the most part, I am.” 

“I'm... relieved to hear that. I'm not sure if you need to drink the potion now. If you already love me, then-”

“No, I want to drink the potion. I want to become Adryn again before you deserve to be with someone who loves you wholly and truly.” 

“You're both being ridiculous for thinking that you could have a happy ending.” Nova butted in, disrupting the moment Laxus and Arcadia were having. 

“That's enough.” Eclipse snapped as she walked into the runes to smack Nova upside the back of the head. “Shut up.” With that, Eclipse was out of the runes and standing next tot Arcadia and Laxus. She smiled at the 2 of them. She was glad that they had a great relationship, even without Adryn's memories. 

“The potion is complete.” Freed suddenly spoke up breaking the silence in the room. 

“How come it went so quickly?” Evergreen asked the green-haired man. He turned his attention to the girl to reply. 

“We got it done so quickly because Eclipse is an experienced potion maker.” Freed's words caused Eclipse to smile.

“I won't drink the potion,” Nova muttered to the group. However, Eclipse was done with hearing defiance from her sister. So she made her way to the girl and walked through the runes. Eclipse then grabbed Nova's face. 

“Listen here you little shit. You're going to drink the potion, or you will drown in it.” Eclipse growled to her younger sister. Nova tried to take a step backward, but Eclipse's grip was too tight on her face. 

“What do you mean by drown in it?” Nova mumbled the best she could while her face was contorted. 

“I'll shove your head in the bowl and make you drown in it unless you willingly drink the potion.” 

“Alright.”

“What?”

“Alright! I'll drink the potion, just let me go!” Nova then smacked Eclipse's hand away from her face. 

“Freed, put it in a cup and bring it over?” Eclipse requested of the green-haired man. Freed nodded his head and walked over to the table to follow the girl's instructions. After getting enough in a cup, and leaving enough for Arcadia, Freed brought the cup over to the sisters. Eclipse took the cup and handed it to Nova. Nova took the cup from Eclipse and sat down in the chair. Eclipse then left the rune barrier and they all watched as Nova drank the whole cup within a moment. 

“What will happen now?” Serenity questioned her mother as she looked up at her. Suddenly though, Nova began to convulse. At first, the convulsions were calm, but then they became violent which caused her to fall out of the chair she had been seated on. They all watched in horror as the girl slowly calmed down and she fell still on the floor. 

“Oh my god, did we kill her?!” Arcadia gasped out horrified. Her and Eclipse hurried to Nova's side only for the girl to shoot up into a seated position. Everyone around Nova jolted backward. The two girls closest to Nova then froze as Nova looked over to them and instantly began to cry. 

“What is going on?” Eclipse questioned a little horrified and worried about how the situation was going. 

“I'm so sorry!” Nova cried out as she held her face in her hands. 

“Huh?” Arcadia questioned more than a little confused. 

“I've been watching through my own eyes all this time and have seen all the horrible things that I've done while under the potion's influence.”

“...I wonder if Adryn is watching my actions as well...” Arcadia muttered to herself. 

“It is most likely. The potions were the same. You are under the influence of the same potion as I just was.” Nova informed the girl making everyone fully understand that they were right about their thoughts. “Please... Everyone... Forgive me. I never meant to do anything to hurt you. Especially you, Arcadia. I was just being controlled by Ivan.” Nova didn't say it, but she was thoroughly disgusted by how close she and Ivan had become. However, she chose to shake that thought from her mind. “Can you let me out of the runes?”

“I'll go through her mind to check to make sure she is really herself again,” Eclipse spoke up as she looked to her sister. She then went through Nova's mind to see that she wasn't pretending and that she was really back to her old self. “Let down the runes.” 

“Alright,” Freed responded as he released the runes around Nova. That caused Nova to instantly get up and head right for Eclipse and Arcadia. She immediately hugged them and began to cry once again. 

“I'm so sorry for being so pathetic! I never meant to succumb to that potion!” Nova cried out as the three girls held each other. 

“It's alright. I'm also under the same influence of that potion. So I'm just as pathetic.” Arcadia responded simply. 

“Neither of you are pathetic, or anything like that. You are just victims of Ivan, that's all.” Laxus stepped up and spoke to the girls. Nova then turned her attention to the man and released the two girls. 

“Thank you, Laxus. Thank you for taking such great care of Adryn and Arcadia.” Nova stated as she looked up to the tall man. 

“I am always going to take care of her. No matter what.” Laxus responded causing Nova to smile up at the man. 

“Alright, well, since Nova didn't die and returned to normal, I want to drink the potion now,” Arcadia spoke up stopping the two from continuing their conversation.

“Do you really need to?” Laxus asked as he turned to look at the redhead. 

“I do. You deserve to have someone who remembers you and everything that you've shared together.” 

“Alright...” Laxus didn't seem to like the idea, but he wasn't about to stop the girl from making her own choices. 

“Eclipse? Can you get me the remaining potion?” Arcadia requested of her best friend simply. Eclipse nodded her head before heading to the table and doing what Arcadia asked her to do. While she did that, Arcadia made her way to the chair and sat down on it. She was also mentally preparing for the seizure she was about to have. 

“Are you sure of this, mother?” Serenity approached her mom hesitantly. Worry was clearly written on the young child's face. 

“I'm sure of this, but... I don't want you and Laxus to watch what is about to happen.” The young girl nodded her head and headed over to Laxus who promptly turned around with the little girl. Neither honestly wanted to watch what was about to happen anyway. 

“Here... and good luck,” Eclipse muttered to her friend as she handed her the cup of the potion. 

“Thank you,” Arcadia replied simply with a smile. She watched as Eclipse turned around as well, clearly not wanting to see her beat friend convulse like she was about to do. So, with that, Arcadia drank the cup of potion and prepared for the effects. After a few moments, the convulsions started. She was met with the same fate as Nova and ended up on the floor unconscious after a minute or two of her convulsions. 

“Adryn?” Eclipse and Laxus hurried to the girl's side to see her open her eyes and sit up. She instantly got a smile on her face as she looked at Laxus and Eclipse. 

“Adryn?” Laxus muttered as he hesitantly looked to the girl who was now getting up off the ground. 

“I'm so happy to see you all again. I mean, I've been seeing all of you, but now as myself again, it's so nice.” The girl who was now Adryn once again spoke up as she looked around the room. 

“Adryn!” The Thunder Legion called out as they hurried to her side as Laxus and Eclipse also got closer to her. Everyone began to take turns hugging the girl as if she had been gone for years. 

“I'm so glad that you're back,” Evergreen stated as she took her turn hugging the girl. 

“It's nice to have you back,” Freed spoke up next as he too hugged Adryn. 

“We all missed you.” Bickslow muttered as his babies echoed, “Missed you! Missed you!” As he hugged her as well. 

“You can't do that to us again, alright? You need to remain Adryn now.” Eclipse informed her best friend as she hugged her tightly. Lastly, Laxus approached the girl. 

“Laxus...” Adryn mumbled as she practically threw herself into the man's arms. 

“Don't leave me again, alright?” Laxus' words were simple, but it told Adryn everything she needed to hear at that moment. Immediately, tears began to flow from Adryn's eyes. 

“I'm so sorry that I wasn't myself for a little while there.”

“You shouldn't be sorry. I'm the one who should be sorry because I couldn't protect you.” Adryn just shook her head and wiped at the tears rolling down her face. Adryn's attention quickly turned to the little girl in the room. Serenity was hovering behind Laxus with fear on her face. 

“Hello there Serenity. I'm your mother, apparently. I'm so sorry that I didn't know you existed.” Adryn approached the young girl and smiled down at her. 

“It's okay. You shouldn't be sorry. I'm just glad that  
I got to meet my true mother after all this time.” Serenity responded as she smiled up at the girl. Adryn opened her arms for the little girl to come to her, so Serenity did. The two hugged for a moment before Adryn turned her attention to Nova. 

“Hey there. It's really been a long time since we last saw each other as ourselves.” Adryn spoke up as she walked over to the lilac-haired girl. 

“Yeah. I'm really sorry about that.” Nova looked down at the ground, but Adryn just pulled her into a hug and waited for Nova to hug her back. The two stood there for a few moments before separating. 

“With everyone here back to normal, we should probably head back to Fairy Tail.” Freed mentioned suddenly as he looked around the room. “There is a lot that needs to be explained.” 

“Freed is right. Let's head home.” Adryn smiled at Laxus as she spoke that. 

“Even me?” Nova hesitantly questioned as she looked to her sister. 

“Yeah, you need to come back with us as well,” Eclipse responded simply. 

“What about me?” Serenity asked from her place next to Laxus. The little girl looked up at the man and then to Adryn. 

“You're my family. That means you're Fairy Tail's family as well.” Hearing Adryn say that caused the little girl to light up and smile brightly at Adryn. 

“Let's hope we can catch a train headed back home,” Evergreen muttered as the group began to leave the inn they were currently in. That caused them all to realize how late it had gotten and that they all really should be hoping that the trains are still heading to Magnolia. So, the group hurried off to the train station, only to find that there was one last train heading in the direction that they wanted. Of course, they boarded the train and all took their seats. 

Adryn and Laxus say together with Serenity seated across from them. Freed and Bickslow sat next to each other with Evergreen across from them. While Eclipse sat in one seat and her sister sat across from her. Eclipse was seated directly behind Adryn was so she was able to still chat with the girl if she wanted to. The Thunder Legion sat in the seats directly next to their leader. 

Feeling the motion sickness suddenly hitting them, Laxus and Adryn decided to talk with each other to try to fight the sick feeling. 

“I guess we'll have to get a new apartment...” Laxus muttered as he looked over to Adryn. The girl looked over to him questioningly. 

“Why?” Adryn responded simply. 

“We have Serenity now. There's only one bedroom in our apartment. We need a two-bedroom apartment for room for her.” 

“Am I really accepted by you, Laxus?” Serenity questioned a little hesitant. She wasn't sure about it but she was hopeful. 

“Of course,” Laxus responded to the girl causing her to light up. 

“That's amazing!” Serenity began to bounce in her seat from excitement and happiness. She was clearly giddy about him accepting her. 

“You know, you should call him dad or father like you call me your mother,” Adryn spoke up as she picked at her arm. 

“Can I?” 

“You can, right, Laxus?” Adryn looked over to Laxus again, who looked back at her with an unsure look in his eyes. 

“It'd be amazing if I could call you my father, Laxus!” Serenity happily said, causing all uncertainty to disappear from Laxus' eyes. He then looked to the little girl and smiled softly at her.

“You can call me anything you want.” Laxus finally spoke up, causing Serenity to launch out of her seat and throw herself onto Laxus. He caught her immediately and hugged her back as she held onto him. 

“Come now, return to your seat.” Adryn laughed as she pulled Serenity off of her boyfriend.   
“Alright, mother. Sorry about that... father.” Serenity had a huge smile on her face as she spoke that last word, which caused a smile to again appear on Laxus' face. Serenity then returned to her seat and looked out the window. Meanwhile, Laxus noticed how Adryn was picking at her arm again, specifically, the Raven Tail mark on her arm. 

“Has anyone figured out a way to remove that mark yet?” Laxus questioned to the group as he looked down at Adryn's arm. A chorus of “no” rang out causing both Laxus and Adryn to frown. 

“We should just cut it off or something. I'm tired of seeing it.” Adryn muttered to herself, but Laxus obviously heard it and responded to her. 

“No. that would just cause you unnecessary pain.”

“Well... I guess we'll figure it out later. I'm not feeling too well and I think I'm going to use you as a pillow.” 

“Go ahead.” Laxus' voice was soft for once as he watched Adryn lean against his shoulder. He decided that it also seemed like a good idea. So, Laxus leaned his head against Adryn's head and he too fell asleep. 

A couple of hours later, Laxus and Adryn were awoken by Freed speaking to them.

“Laxus, Adryn. It's time to wake up. We're about to reach our stop.” Freed's voice was just loud enough to cause them to wake up. However, as they went to lean away from each other and sit up straight, they felt a weight against them. They looked between them to see Serenity sleeping there, holding onto both of them. It brought a smile to both of their faces. 

“Serenity, it's time to wake up.” Adryn slightly shook the little girl awake. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at them. 

“Huh?” Serenity responded as she looked around her. “Oh.”

“Did you forget where you were?” 

“For a moment.” Serenity then smiled up at Adryn. Serenity remained between Laxus and Adryn until the train came to a stop. Then, all of them left the train and headed to the guildhall. It was late, but they figured that most everyone would still be there. 

Once the group made it to the guildhall, they found Master Makarov and Mirajane to explain everything to them. It took a while to explain all that happened and why there was now a child with Laxus and Adryn, but eventually, everything was told. 

“You all had quite a difficult experience, did you?” Mirajane muttered mostly to herself in shock at the whole situation. 

“I am glad that you are both back to how you should be.” Master Makarov stated to Nova and Adryn. 

“We should call the Magic Council. I need to be returned to jail and they will probably want to question Nova for her actions.” Eclipse stated simply causing the master to nod his head.   
“As much as I don't like it, I agree.” Master Makarov then turned to Mirajane and spoke to her. “Go call them, please.” 

“Of course.” Mirajane didn't like it either, but she went off to summon the Magic Council. The group continued to talk while they waited, but it didn't take long for them to arrive. 

“We're here for Eclipse and Nova.” One of the men stated as the Magic Council approached the group. The two girls stood up, and so did Adryn. 

“Are you sure you have to go?” Adryn questioned her best friend and former lover. Eclipse turned to face her friend and hugged her quickly.

“Don't worry. We'll be back soon and everything will be fine.” Eclipse spoke up before turning around and walking out with her sister and the Magic Council. Adryn just sighed as she watched them go. She didn't like it one bit. 

Despite Adryn's negative feelings, she, Laxus and the Thunder Legion all joined in with the others and drank and ate the day away. Serenity had played with Mirajane as the adults did their thing. It was nice for them to finally be able to do things and not worry about anything at all.

“Adryn, remember to not drink too much,” Laxus warned the girl as she began drinking her second cup of alcohol. 

“Alright, this will be my last cup.” Adryn smiled at the man who just began to drink his third cup. Adryn stuck to what she said and chose to eat more than she drank. As they ate and drank, the group chatted about various things. Mostly though, they talked about the future and what was to come. 

“So, are you two ever going to get married?” Evergreen questioned Adryn as she leaned over to the girl. 

“Are you and Elfman ever going to admit to everyone that you two are in love with each other?” Adryn responded a little defensively. That caused Evergreen to sputter and turn away from the group. She instantly made eye contact with Elfman and she decided to go off to chat with him instead. 

“Adryn, you shouldn't tease Ever like that.” Freed scolded the girl who just smiled at him. 

“You're right. I should go apologize.” Adryn went to stand up, but Laxus grabbed her by her waist and held her there in place. “Laxus?” Adryn looked to her boyfriend, but he just released her and went back to drinking. That was his way of telling the girl that she shouldn't leave his side at that moment. “Alright, I'll apologize another time... If I remember.” 

With that, the group went back to drinking/eating and having fun. It quickly became late in the night before they realized that they should all be heading home. 

“Mira?” Adryn asked as he approached the girl who was still with Serenity. 

“Yes, Adryn?” Mirajane responded as she looked away from her coloring that she'd been doing with Serenity. 

“Do you mind if Serenity stays with you tonight? I want some alone time with Laxus, plus, we need to get everything ready for Serenity.” 

“Are you going to play games with him?” Serenity innocently questioned as she looked up to her mother. “What do you need to get ready for me?”

“Something like that and you'll see.” Adryn smiled at her daughter and turned her attention to Mirajane who was now speaking to her. 

“I'll watch over Serenity, you and Laxus just have fun,” Mirajane responded after thinking about it for a moment. 

“Thank you, you're the best!” Adryn then scurried off to find Laxus, who was sobering up while talking with Freed. Adryn made her way to Laxus' side and she hugged him around the waist. 

“You two have fun. Goodnight.” Freed smiled at the couple before walking away from the two of them.

“Goodnight!” Adryn yelled back happily as she looked up to Laxus who was looking down  
at her now. “What's up?” 

“Is Mira watching over Serenity tonight?” Laxus questioned as he wrapped an arm around Adryn in return. 

“Yeah. So, let's head home. I'm... tired.” Laxus noted Adryn's hesitation but chose to not say anything about it. Instead, the two walked home in silence, hand in hand. It was a comfortable silence even though there was so much that the two most likely needed to say to each other. However, they were enjoying the quiet with each other since they knew that now they would have a lifetime to say anything that they needed to say to each other.


	17. Removing The Mark

Once at their apartment, Adryn and Laxus located an extra pillow and blanket and set it up on the couch for when Serenity would need to sleep there. 

“Let's get ready for bed,” Laxus spoke up as the two of them finished setting up the couch for the little girl. 

“Alright.” Adryn agreed a little too quickly. That caused Laxus to look over at her, but she was already heading into the bedroom. Laxus was a little drunk still, but he was able to understand that the girl was a little nervous. She hadn't looked at him since they got to the apartment and she hadn't really spoken to him too much. That caused the man to worry, but he chose to not say anything to her yet. He figured if something bad was going on, she'd tell him. 

Eventually, the two are in bed and laying down together. However, Adryn suddenly sat up and looked over to Laxus. The man just looked to her in confusion. He could tell that she had something on her mind but that she just wasn't sure if she could say it or not. However, after a few moments of staring at each other, Adryn spoke up. 

“Laxus?”

“What?” Laxus responded sounding a little tired. 

“I want to give myself to you,” Adryn responded with a slight blush on her face. Laxus didn't get what she meant, so he just stared at her with more confusion than before. “I want to have sex with you.” Adryn bluntly said causing Laxus to sit up immediately.

“Are you sure?” Laxus questioned hesitantly. He wasn't too sure if Adryn was fully ready for that yet. He didn't want her to do anything that would cause her to suffer even more than she already had. 

“Laxus, I love and trust you with all my heart and soul. I know that you're the one that I want to spend the rest of my life with.” Adryn took Laxus' hands and smiled at him as she spoke to him. 

“Can you handle it? I don't want you to push yourself.” Laxus was as sober as he could be now that they were having such a serious conversation. Despite how supportive Laxus was being, Adryn frowned at him. 

“I want to do this before anything else goes wrong in our lives. I want to have this special moment with you to prove that I love you with everything I am. Soul, mind, heart and body.” Adryn's sincerity moved Laxus and caused him to only have one answer for her. 

“Alright.” Laxus couldn't find any other words to say to the girl. However, no words were needed as he pulled her to him and kissed her. This kiss didn't feel like anything before. It was their first kiss since she became Adryn again, and it was a kiss that led to more kisses, which led to a lot more things that Adryn had only ever experienced under bad circumstances. However, this one night seemed to be able to rewrite it all, leaving only good memories. 

~

The next morning, Laxus woke up before Adryn. He couldn't help but smile to himself as he thought back on the night before. He was proud that Adryn was able to overcome her trauma. He could only hope that when she woke up, she didn't regret anything. Laxus knew that he didn't regret anything and never would. He was happy to have gotten closer to Adryn. He never really thought that something like that would happen. 

As Laxus was thinking to himself, he realized that Adryn was now awake and facing him. The two looked at each other for a moment before Adryn began to blush. She then hid her face with her hands. She was blushing so hard that her ears were red as well. Laxus couldn't help but smile again. 

“Adryn?” Laxus questioned as he moved closer to Adryn. He gently reached over and pulled her hands away from her face. 

“Yes?” Adryn muttered back as she gave up and allowed Laxus to look at her face. 

“Are you alright?” 

“I... was so confident last night and said some pretty sappy things... I can't believe what came out of my mouth...” 

“Do you regret it all?” Laxus was a little worried, but it only lasted a moment because Adryn instantly shot up into a seated position. 

“Of course not! I could never regret anything we did or said!” Hearing that Laxus couldn't help but smile at Adryn. 

“Good. I don't regret anything either.” 

“I really do love you, Laxus.” 

“I love you as well.” Laxus leaned over to kiss Adryn and the two shared their first kiss of the day. Laxus then got up from the bed and Adryn watched as the man put his clothes on and then began to head out of the room. “You stay here, I'll go make breakfast.” 

“I can help.” Adryn went to get up, but Laxus walked over to her and kissed her again. 

“I want to make you breakfast. Stay here and read your book. I'll bring in our food when it's ready.” Laxus then patted the girl's head and left the room. Adryn was filled with happiness at his actions and words. She was happy that he wanted to do something nice for her, and she was also happy about everything else. 

“I'm so glad I'm myself again...” Adryn muttered to herself as she thought back on the time she's spent with Laxus. She was thrilled that she and Laxus had gotten closer over the time she was herself and not herself. She was also glad that he'd stuck by her through all of the drama that had gone on. “Oh, I should probably get dressed.” Adryn hurried up and climbed out of bed and put her usual style of outfit on. She left out her cloak, as she hadn't even been wearing that for a while, so she figured she shouldn't start wearing it again. After getting dressed, Adryn climbed back into bed and pulled out her book that she still hadn't finished reading quite yet. 

After about a half-hour, Adryn was pulled out of her book by the bedroom door opening up. She looked over to see Laxus walking in with a tray, that she didn't even know he had, full of food. Adryn lit up and put the bookmark back in her book before setting it back down on the table next to her. 

“That was fast,” Adryn commented as Laxus set the tray of food down on the bed carefully. 

“You were just too into your book. It's been a while.” Laxus then climbed into bed and the two began to eat. A few moments into eating, Adryn thought of a question. 

“So, what are we going to do today?” 

“We should probably get Serenity and go looking for a new apartment.” 

“That seems like it could be fun. I hope we find something that we want.” Adryn then went back to eating, prompting Laxus to return to eating as well. Once the two ate, washed the dishes and got ready for the day the rest of the way, Laxus and Adryn headed to the guildhall. They figured that Mirajane and Serenity would be there by now. It turned out to be around the middle of the day by the time Laxus and Adryn left their apartment. 

“Mother! Father! It took you two forever to get here!” Serenity had immediately spotted them and came running. Adryn crouched down to receive a hug from her daughter. Laxus then patted the little girl on the head affectionately for his hello. Serenity brightened up when she received both hellos.

“Do you want to come apartment hunting with us?” Adryn asked her child as she stood back up. Serenity instantly nodded her head and began to bounce excitedly. 

“I'd love to come along!”

“Freed should have a few apartments lined up for us to see. I gave him that task last night.” Laxus noted as he looked to see where Freed was. Freed had already spotted the group and was approaching them by himself. 

“Here you go, Laxus. There are a few apartments and I hope you find one that all of you love.” Freed spoke up as he handed Laxus a paper with a bunch of information written on it. 

“Thank you, Freed. We truly appreciate your help.” Adryn spoke up to the man who just nodded his head to her and then returned to the other members of the Thunder Legion. 

“Well, let's get going,” Laxus spoke up as he began to read the paper. 

“Alright!” Both Serenity and Adryn responded in unison. Holding hands with Serenity, who was also holding hands with Laxus, the group walked down the roads until they came across their first apartment on the list. 

The first apartment was only a 2 bedroom apartment and it was actually quite small. It didn't speak to any of them and actually gave Serenity a bad feeling. So, they moved on to the next apartment. 

The second apartment was a 4 bedroom apartment and was quite large. However, it was a bit too pricey and a bit too large for the 3 person family. So, they moved onto the third apartment on the list. 

This went on and on for the rest of the day until the next to the last apartment on the list. It was a 3 bedroom apartment and it had a decent-sized kitchen, along with a good-sized living room. There was more than enough room for them all. It was perfect. However, Laxus' thoughts sealed the deal on that apartment. 

“I think this one is the perfect one,” Laxus commented simply as they finished their tour of the apartment. 

“Why?” Adryn questioned, feeling the same way though. 

“It gives us enough room to grow our family together. We might not need the third bedroom right now, but we might in the future.” 

“Aww!” Serenity cried out in response as Adryn blushed and nodded her head. 

“Alright. I agree. Serenity? Do you like this one?” Adryn looked to the little girl as she instantly nodded her head. “Alright, let's go get this apartment!” 

“I'll go, you two head outside and figure out where you want to eat tonight.” Laxus then left the apartment to find the person he needed to pay. Meanwhile, Adryn and Serenity headed out of the building and to the street to discuss where to eat. They chatted for a little bit and decided to just head back to the guildhall to eat there with their friends. It would also be the perfect time to thank Freed and recruit them to help them move apartments. 

“Father!” Serenity suddenly yelled out as she saw Laxus leaving the building. 

“Did everything go well?” Adryn questioned as she and Serenity approached Laxus. 

“Yeah. We can move in whenever we are ready.” Laxus responded as he held out the keys to the apartment. There were 2,  
so Adryn and Laxus could have their own keys. 

“Awesome!” Serenity was again bouncing from excitement. “Mother and I choose to just go back to the guildhall. I want to play with Aunty Mira again.” 

“Okay, let's get going.” With Laxus' words, they took each other's hands again with Serenity in the middle. They walked back to the guildhall and went right to where they wanted to go. Serenity headed over to Mirajane while Adryn and Laxus headed to the Thunder Legion. 

“How did everything go?” Freed questioned, seemingly a little nervous. He wanted to have helped them and not wasted their time with the apartments he'd found. 

“We got the perfect one! Thank you so much, Freed!” Adryn happily spoke to the green-haired man. He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at that. 

“That's good. I also have some good news.” 

“Oh?” 

“I have found a way to remove the Raven Tail guild mark from your arm.” 

“Will it make me hallucinate?” Adryn had just accepted that it might do such a thing. Freed seemed to find it humorous and smiled at the girl.

“No,” Freed's smile fell as he spoke, “But it will most definitely cause serious pain.” 

“What?” Laxus was not happy about hearing that his girlfriend was going to be suffering again.

“This is going to be a topical potion that can remove any unwanted things on a body. Like scars, freckles/moles and things of that nature. Usually, it would be only slightly painful, however, since this is such a large area, it will cause intense pain as it forms new skin over the area that was affected and unwanted.” 

“Alright. Let's do this.” Adryn instantly responded eagerly. 

“Are you sure?” Laxus questioned just as fast as Adryn had agreed. 

“I don't want this on me anymore. I want my Fairy Tail guild mark back.” 

“If you're sure, then let's go right now.” 

“Okay. We can head to my old house. I think the potion making equipment that Eclipse brought is still there. Do we have the ingredients already?” 

“Yes. I figured that you would agree, so we got the ingredients as you were apartment hunting.” Freed responded as he turned to the table and grabbed the bag that was seated on the seat next to the one he'd just been sitting on. Freed then said his goodbyes to his friends and headed out the guildhall with Laxus, Adryn, and Serenity. As the group walked together, they were stopped by a sudden voice. 

“Hey guys, wait up!” The 4 of them turned around to see Eclipse and Nova hurrying towards them. 

“Eclipse! Nova!” Adryn happily cried out as she hurriedly moved to them. The 3 of them hugged and said their hellos before separating. “What are you 2 doing here?! I thought you both would be locked up!” Adryn wasn't complaining though, she was glad to see the 2 girls.

“We were released.” Eclipse simply spoke, causing Adryn to give her a disappointed look. 

“The Magic Council wanted nothing to do with us. They told us that we caused enough problems, but went through enough and deserved to be free, for now.” Nova explained since it was apparent that her sister wasn't going to. 

“Oh, cool,” Adryn responded with a smile. 

“So, where were you 4 off to?” Eclipse asked as she looked to the bag in Freed's hand. 

“Freed found a potion that can take the guild mark off of my arm. So we were heading to my old house in the forest to make the potion.” 

“Can we join you?” 

“Of course. I would greatly enjoy your help in creating the potion.” Freed responded before Adryn herself could agree. So, with that, the 4 turned 6 went to the little house in the woods. Immediately once they were there, Freed and Eclipse went to the potion making equipment to start. That left the other 4 to sit on the couch and chairs. Adryn and Laxus took the couch while Nova took one chair and Serenity took the other. 

“So, what are your plans now that you are free?” Adryn questioned as she turned to look at Nova. Nova however just looked down at the ground. 

“Well...” Nova muttered quietly. 

“What?”

“I don't think you'll like this... but, I'm going to leave and go somewhere far away, where no one knows me to restart my life... and I'll be taking Eclipse with me...”

“What, what?!” Adryn shot up from the couch and looked down at Nova. Nova instantly stood up and grabbed Adryn's hands. 

“I'm so sorry. I know that so much has happened and that you probably want everything to go back to the way it used to be, but it can't. Eclipse and I have to go. We need to do right for all we've done wrong.” There was something else that Nova was holding back, but she chose to not say anything else. Adryn just sighed at her words and nodded her head. 

“Alright. I understand.” 

“Really?!” Nova seemed excited to hear that. 

“I'm not happy about it, but I understand that you need to do what you need to do. I don't like that I feel like I'll be left behind, but I do hope the best for you two.” 

“Will we ever see you again?” Serenity muttered from her place in her chair. It seemed like she was unhappy about the situation. 

“It's probably for the best that I never return. I... probably shouldn't be around your mother too much anymore.”

“Why?” Serenity just didn't seem to understand the adults. 

“I have all these feelings of guilt and shame. I get reminded of them whenever I see your parents and even you. Same with Eclipse, but it isn't as bad as when I'm with her.” Nova explained simply. 

“It's alright, Nova. I understand. Serenity will one day as well. I feel the same type of guilt and shame due to when I was Arcadia.” Adryn muttered in response to the lilac-haired girl. 

“You have no reason to feel any guilt or shame. It was my fault for not protecting you.” Laxus spoke up as he stood up from the couch. Adryn released Nova's hands, as they were still holding hands, to turn to Laxus with a smile. 

“It's alright Laxus. There is nothing anyone could have done differently.” Laxus wanted to argue, but Freed's voice broke through their conversation. 

“The potion is done!” Freed called out to the group. Eclipse was holding the bottle of potion. “This will hurt. Are you sure that you want to do this?” Freed approached with Eclipse holding the bottle. 

“I have to do this. I can't stand this mark being on me any longer than it already has been.” Adryn responded immediately as she approached the two potion makers. 

“Alright. Let's pour this over the sink. I don't want it to get all over the floor.” Eclipse suggested as she motioned towards the sink. Adryn nodded her head as she made her way to the sink. The rest of them followed her and surrounded her to watch.

“Alright, I'm ready,” Adryn muttered to her best friend. Eclipse nodded her head and opened the potion bottle.

“Now, think of what you want to remove from your body as I pour this. Also, remember that this will hurt you.” Eclipse got the potion over Adryn's arm and took a deep breath. Adryn also took a breath and braced herself as Eclipse poured the potion over the Raven Tail mark. Instantly, Adryn screamed out in pain and used her other arm to hold onto the counter of the sink. Everyone took a step towards Adryn in case she fell over, but she remained standing. 

“Is it working?” Nova muttered as she leaned over to look at Adryn's arm. No one answered her, but she saw the answer for herself. They all watched as the Raven Tail mark began to melt off of the girl's arm.

“The Fairy Tail mark...” Eclipse muttered in shock. There, Adryn's Fairy Tail mark that she'd gotten so long ago, remained. The pain on Adryn's arm subsided and Adryn, who had tears in her eyes, looked down at her arm and began to cry. 

“Adryn?!” Everyone around the redhead was worried and hurried to her side. Laxus pushed his way to be the one closest to Adryn. As soon as he was next to her, Adryn nearly threw herself in his arms. 

“Adryn, what's wrong?” Laxus questioned as he held the crying girl. 

“No, nothing is wrong. Nothing at all!” Adryn responded immediately as she continued to cry. She was calming down now though. 

“Then...?” 

“I'm just so happy that I can see my Fairy Tail mark again. It makes me feel like everything will be okay.” 

“Of course everything will be okay,” Laxus smirked at the girl who looked up at him. Adryn couldn't help but laugh as she wiped away her tears. 

“You're right.” Adryn smiled up at Laxus, who patted her head in return. Adryn leaned into his hand and only was brought out of their world when Nova coughed. “Oh, right. We aren't alone...” Adryn broke away from Laxus and turned to the group. 

“We should probably head to the guildhall. We have some announcements to make.” 

“Some announcements?” Eclipse questioned confused. “I get that you want to announce your arm, but what else?”

“We found a new place to live!” Serenity happily cried out to the group. 

“You did?”

“Yeah, a new apartment a little ways away from Laxus' old one. We needed a bigger place.” Adryn replied as she smiled at her friends. “We need to ask the Thunder Legion for help packing and moving though.” As Adryn spoke, she turned to look at Freed. 

“We would be happy to help you move into your new apartment... Granted, once Ever and Bickslow are sober.” Freed spoke up with a smile. 

“Great! We appreciate your help.” 

“We should probably head back to the guildhall now,” Laxus suggested causing the group to agree with him. 

“Mother? Can we color when we get there?” Serenity questioned simply as they began to make their way back to the guildhall. 

“Of course,” Adryn responded as she took Serenity's hand. Serenity then held out her free hand to Laxus who took her hand. The group walked back and chatted about random things as they went. They mostly just talked about where Eclipse and Nova would go now, but they also got onto other topics as well. It was nice to be able to chat about things without a care. In the back of their minds, they just wondered how long it would last.


	18. Proposal

As soon as they got back to the guildhall, they split up into groups. Everyone else but Eclipse, Serenity and Adryn went to go get drunk. Freed returned to the other members of the Thunder Legion with Laxus. While Nova headed to the bar to chat with Mirajane and get drunk alone. Eclipse, Adryn, and Serenity went to a table away from the drunks and loud mouths to color. 

However, everything seemed normal, until a couple of hours later. Everyone was mostly drunk, but not too drunk, except Nova. She was drinking as if to forget everything that she's gone through. That led her to be sloppy drunk and stumbling around. Eventually, though, she made her way to the table where Eclipse, Adryn, and Serenity were seated. 

“Nova? Are you alri-” Adryn was cut off by Nova throwing herself onto Adryn. It was a shock, but more so was when they realized that Nova was sobbing as she clung to Adryn. “Nova?” 

“I love you!” Nova wailed as she shook Adryn violently. Hearing Nova, a few people looked over to them. One of those people was Laxus. He stopped his drinking with the Thunder Legion to turn to look at Adryn and the scene going on around her. 

“Nova? Are you alright?” Eclipse questioned her sister with a lot of worry. 

“I don't want to leave you!” Nova cried out as she held tighter to Adryn and continued her shaking. 

“Nova, you need to let me go. You're creating a scene. People are looking.” Adryn muttered as she tried to push the lilac-haired girl off of her. However, before she could do too much, Laxus walked over and pulled Nova off of Adryn forcefully. 

“Stay off of Adryn,” Laxus told the girl who was then thrown on the floor. Nova got up immediately and began yelling at Laxus. 

“You don't deserve Adryn! I had her first!” Nova yelled at the man. Laxus was a little taken aback at the girl's yelling. 

“Adryn made her choice already.” Laxus simply stated as he glared down at the girl. 

“So what?! We should fight to show which of us is strong enough to be with Adryn!” 

“Alright,” Laxus smirked at Nova, much to Adryn's dismay. 

“Wait, you two need to stop this! You're both drunk and could really hurt someone or break something!” Eclipse got up instantly and tried to get in between the two who were about to fight. However, before she could, Nova lunged at Laxus. 

Everyone in the guildhall turned to look at the two who were now in an altercation. However, things ended quickly with one blow from Laxus. The man sent a powerful blast of lightning towards the lilac-haired girl. In return, Nova went flying backward and crashed into the wall. 

“Nova!” Both Adryn and Eclipse cried out in horror. They watched as she slumped to the ground, unconscious. 

“Laxus! Why would you do that!? You know she was out of her mind drunk!” Adryn scolded her lover as she watched Eclipse run to her sister's side. 

“I just didn't want there to be any chance of losing to her, and losing you in return.” Laxus simply stated as he looked to the girl. 

“You're an idiot, Laxus. No matter who won, I would not be Nova's. I swore I was yours.” Adryn was now glaring up at her lover, who turned away from her. There was a slight pout on his face. Adryn turned to look at Nova, who was now being carried off by Eclipse. Adryn then turned back to Laxus, who was now seated at the table where Serenity still was. She was still coloring, ignoring the things going on around her. 

“Mother, father is upset.” Serenity muttered as she looked up for a moment, then continued coloring. 

“I know...” Adryn then moved to Laxus' side and wrapped her arms around him. “Come on, Laxus. I didn't mean to yell at you.” Laxus turned his head away from Adryn. So, the girl leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I love you,” Adryn whispered to the pouting man. Laxus then turned back to Adryn and smirked at her. “Oh? You aren't pouting anymore?”

“I wasn't pouting,” Laxus mumbled as he wrapped his arms around Adryn. He pulled her closer to him and then kissed her. He then paused and pulled away from her. He looked around at everyone who was looking at them. It looked like they were shocked, as Laxus had never seemed so soft around them like that before. 

“We should probably head home.” Adryn laughed as she realized Laxus was a little too drunk and now that they were the main focus of the room, he would probably be uncomfortable. “We really need to go home, before you do something you'll regret.” 

“There is nothing I could do to make me regret anything as long as you're by my side.” Laxus then smirked at Adryn. “We could even get married right now to prove that I won't regret anything in the morning.” 

“You better be joking about that. You won't remember any of this in the morning. I'm pretty sure you would want to remember your wedding.” 

“Even so, I want to marry you, as soon as possible.”

“Wait, what?” Adryn was shocked as the two of them hadn't really spoken about marriage before. Especially not since she'd become Adryn again. However, Adryn shook off the shock and muttered her next thought. “You can't propose without a ring, Laxus.” To her words, Laxus reached into his coat and pulled out a small box. “What is that?” Everyone in the room then froze at the sight of the box. 

“Marry me.” Laxus' voice was so clear for a moment. Before Adryn could respond, Laxus opened the box and showed the ring to Adryn. She couldn't help but gasp at its beauty. The ring was a black band with a huge emerald heart in the middle with a bunch of little blue sapphires surrounding it on either side of the heart. Adryn's knees began to shake and she had to hold onto Laxus to keep herself standing. Tears began to form in her eyes. 

“How long have you had this ring?” 

“I've had it... ever since the first month of us dating. Even before you moved in with me.” Laxus responded simply. That caused Adryn to fight more tears. She took a deep breath and smiled at Laxus.

“Alright. Listen Laxus, I'll marry you but I won't put the ring on yet. I'll put it on when you're sober.” To Adryn's words, everyone began to cheer and clap for the couple. Laxus and Adryn ignored them and pulled each other into an embrace. They then kissed and separated. “I'll ask Mira if she can watch Serenity again, then, we'll go home.” 

“Alright.” Laxus agreed as he released Adryn from his grasp. The redhead hurried to Mirajane to ask her the question. After Mirajane agreed to watch the little girl, they said goodnight to everyone and Laxus and Adryn headed home. The girl had to have Laxus lean against her as they walked due to how drunk he'd gotten. So, that led to the couple stumbling through the streets to Laxus' original apartment, since they hadn't gotten the other apartment ready yet. 

“Laxus, get into bed,” Adryn told the large man as soon as they got to their bedroom. Laxus just nodded his head and climbed into bed, however, before Adryn could cover him up, he pulled her into bed with him. “Laxus?”

“Stay,” Laxus muttered quietly as he slowly drifted off to sleep. Adryn was left unsure of things since he wasn't usually like this. However, she was too caught up in being in his arms to worry about it too much. The last thought Adryn had that night was that she hoped Laxus would remember everything in the morning. 

~

The next morning, Adryn woke up not in Laxus' arms. He was faced away from her and still sleeping. Seeing him sleeping so peacefully brought a smile to Adryn's face. She then figured that Laxus wouldn't feel too good once he woke up, so Adryn decided to get up and make him breakfast. 

About a half-hour later, Laxus woke up in bed alone. He wasn't sure how he got home, as he had no memory of the night before. He just hoped that he hadn't done anything to upset Adryn. However, he could smell food cooking, so he left the bedroom. He walked into the living room and looked into the kitchen to see Adryn, only for the entire previous night to come rushing back to him. 

“I'm sorry I was so drunk last night.” Laxus' words startled Adryn causing her to turn around quickly. She then processed his words and began to chuckle at him. 

“It's alright. You were cute. Do you remember everything?” Adryn responded as she turned back to the cooking food. 

“I do.” Laxus then walked to his coat and pulled out the ring box. “I'm sober now, put the ring on.” 

“Of course.” Adryn turned back to Laxus to let him put the ring on her finger. She then motioned for him to sit down so she could finish up the food. So, Laxus kissed her and went to go sit down and watch her finish the food. As the girl continued to cook, she couldn't help but smile the entire time. 

After another few minutes, the food was done and sitting on the table. Laxus and Adryn immediately began to eat and as they ate, they chatted about their plans for the day. They eventually came to the conclusion that they would go to the guildhall and recruit their friends to help them pack up. So, once they ate, they got ready for the day. Once they were ready, they walked to the guildhall. Once there, Mirajane approached them as soon as they walked through the doors. 

“So, did you remember everything? Are you two officially engaged?” Mirajane questioned, causing the others around them to stop talking and turn around to look at the couple. 

“Yes. To both those questions.” Adryn responded with a smile on her face. Instantly, there were cheers and congratulations from the members of the guild. They all then went back to their own things as the couple and Mirajane walked split apart. Mirajane went back tot he bar, while Laxus and Adryn went off to the Thunder Legion. 

“Congratulations, both of you.” Freed smiled as he spoke to them. 

“It's about time! It took you two forever to get to this point!” Evergreen commented with a smirk on her face. Adryn wanted to retort, but Bickslow interrupted her thoughts. 

“The wedding better be soon. Before anything else happens to you two.”  
Bickslow's remark was followed by his babies repeating, “Happens to you!” a few times.

“Bickslow!” Evergreen and Freed scolded their friend, but Laxus and Adryn just smiled at them. 

“We haven't talked about the wedding yet. We literally just got officially engaged this morning.” Laxus grumbled as Adryn just chuckled at him. 

“So, can you three help out with the packing process? We could really use the help.” Adryn questioned to her friends. They instantly all agreed and stood up from the table. 

“It may take all day, so we should head out now,” Freed suggested causing Laxus to agree immediately. 

“Let's go.” Laxus then turned around and began to leave. Adryn, Evergreen, Freed and Bickslow(and his babies) all hurried to catch up with the tall man. They first headed to get boxes and then they made their way to Laxus' apartment. “Adryn and I will take the bedroom.” Laxus then headed to the bedroom with Adryn following him. 

So the packing began. Adryn began to pack her clothes and realized that she had pretty much the same outfit over and over again. She wore that she'd go shopping and get some new outfits eventually. Laxus' packing was a lot less neat than Adryn's was. So, she had to go through his stuff and fold it the correct way and put it neatly into the boxes. Laxus just smirked at her and continued to do things his way. 

Eventually, Adryn and Laxus got their room packed up and headed out to see how the others had done. It seemed like they were nearly done, so Adryn and Laxus joined them in finishing up the packing of the rest of the apartment. 

“Alright, so, we should start taking the boxes over to the apartment,” Freed spoke up as he watched Bickslow and Evergreen sit on the couch. Both of them groaned at his words, causing Adryn to smile. 

“Let's get going.” Laxus agreed as he made his way to grab a few boxes. Everyone took a few or just one box and headed out. The process took the rest of the day, but eventually, the group had all the boxes in the new apartment. Once the boxes were there, the Thunder Legion looked around the new apartment.

“This is a pretty nice place,” Bickslow commented with his babies echoing his words. 

“It's a 3 bedroom? Why the extra bedroom?” Freed questioned as he looked to the couple. 

“So we have room to grow,” Adryn responded without giving too much information. Freed just took that as a good response and nodded his head. Adryn then looked out a window and frowned. “We should get Serenity and head back to the other apartment to sleep.” Laxus just wordlessly agreed and then the group was heading back to the guildhall. Once there, Adryn collected the sleeping child, letting Laxus carry her. They then said their goodnights to their friends and headed back to the original apartment. They'd left the blankets and pillows there for their last night in the apartment. Even the couch was left, ready for Serenity to sleep on. They needed to stay in the new apartment, because their new apartment was completely empty, except for the new boxes of stuff that was now there. 

Once they returned to their apartment, Laxus laid Serenity on the couch and covered her up. He and Adryn then headed to their bedroom and got ready for bed. That essentially meant that they stripped to their underwear and climbed into bed. Almost immediately after laying down and snuggling together, the couple was asleep. 

~

The next morning, Adryn and Laxus woke up first and got back into their clothes. They then left the bedroom, only to see that Serenity was awake and just staring up at the ceiling silently. 

“Good morning, did you sleep well?” Adryn questioned as she approached the little girl. 

“Hmm? Oh, yes, mother, I did. How did you sleep?” Serenity responded as she broke out of her trance that she'd been in. 

“Let's get going. We can grab something to eat while we're out.” Laxus stated, causing the little girl to light up. 

“We can go out to eat somewhere?” Serenity jumped off the couch and was smiling up at her father. “Also, where are we going?” 

“We need to get furniture. We have nothing for the new apartment.” Adryn responded simply. Serenity nodded her head and the group then headed out of the apartment to go buy some furniture. First, though, the three of them headed to a place to get some breakfast. After that though, they headed around town to collect items for their new place.

Serenity got to pick out her own bed while the two adults chose a much bigger bed for the two of them. They also picked out a new couch and chairs for their living room. They had everything set to be delivered to their new place later that day. That meant that they could go collect smaller items. Like some books for Serenity and Adryn. They also picked up new things for Serenity, meaning just anything that a young girl would need to be happy. Serenity was hesitant at first, but Laxus and Adryn reassured her that they wanted her to be happy so they'd get her anything she wanted. Once they were done, they headed home to start to unpack their belongings as they waited for their new stuff to arrive. 

“So this will be your room,” Adryn spoke up as she led Serenity to the room she'd decided was perfect for her daughter. “You can do whatever you want with this room, as long as you don't destroy it.” Adryn chuckled at the last comment causing Serenity to light up. 

“You mean it? I can do whatever?” Serenity seemed to be happy about the situation. Adryn just nodded to her little girl as she led Serenity to the next bedroom. 

“This one is your father and I's room. If you ever need us, just come and knock. We'll help you with anything you need.” 

“Thank you, mother.” 

“Alright, now let's start unpacking so we have room for when everything else gets here.” Laxus suddenly spoke up as Serenity and Adryn were making their way back to where he was. 

“If we work together, we should get this done quickly,” Adryn commented simply as she smiled up at her lover. 

“Mother is right, let's work together!” Serenity smiled up at Laxus as well, causing a small smirk to appear on Laxus' face. So, with that, the three of them began to unpack. They started with the kitchen. Meaning they brought back out their pots and pans, not that Laxus had many, to begin with. Adryn made a mental note to have them pick up some more cooking utensils and supplies later on. 

Once the kitchen was unpacked, they moved to the living room. They were about halfway through with unpacking the living room when the people arrived with the large new things that they'd bought earlier that day. So they halted their unpacking to show the people where to put everything. Once they were done and thanked for their help, the three of them went back to their original mission. 

It took the rest of the day, but eventually, everything was unpacked and the beds were made up. The day was already coming to an end by the time they were done. 

“We should get our friends and show them the place,” Adryn muttered as she laid on the couch, exhausted from the day. Laxus thought about it for a moment before nodding his head.

“That means you have to get up and walk there,” Laxus noted as he stood up from one of the chairs. 

“Can't you just carry me? I'm sure I'm not that heavy.” 

“You are light compared to that couch you're laying on,” Laxus responded simply.

“Don't compare me to a couch!” Adryn sat up as she pouted at her lover. Laxus couldn't help but smirk at her. 

“Let's go.” Laxus held out a hand to Adryn to help her fully off the couch and she took it with a smile on her face. Serenity simply hopped down off her chair and followed after the two adults who were now standing at the door, waiting for her. The three of them walked to the guildhall holding hands, mostly so no one would get lost as the light faded from the sky. They really didn't want Serenity to run off or get lost on their way through town. 

As soon as the three of them got there, they were surrounded by their friends. Specifically the Thunder Legion and Eclipse. Mirajane wanted to go to them, but she was caught up with the drunks. 

“Glad none of you are drunk. Were you waiting for us?” Adryn questioned as she looked at their friends. 

“Yes. We are eager to see how your new apartment turned out.” Eclipse responded as she patted Serenity on the head as a hello. 

“Well, that's why we're here. We wanted you 4 to be the first ones to see our new place.” 

“We would be honored to.” Freed smiled at Adryn, who returned the smile back to him. 

“Well then, let's get going before it gets too dark.” Everyone agreed and began the trek to the new apartment. Along the way, Serenity began to feel tired and so Laxus decided to carry her. She snuggled into his arms and fell asleep almost instantly. The day of walking around and unpacking proved to be enough to tire the little girl out. Adryn felt the same way, but she decided to fight through the sleepiness. Though she still wanted Laxus to carry her, she wouldn't admit that at that moment. 

“So this is it?” Eclipse questioned as she looked up at the apartment building Adryn and Laxus stopped at. 

“Yeah, follow me, I'll show you which one is ours.” Adryn led the way to their door and opened it up. Instantly, the group entered the home and began to make comments. 

“This is a lot larger than the old apartment,” Evergreen noted as she began to explore the apartment.

“It's also decorated differently, I suppose that is caused by Adryn?” Freed commented as he noticed that the living room now had blue lamps while the original ones were a different color. A few other things, like the light gray couch, was also a different color than the old one. 

“You two sure have a nice place here.” Bickslow spoke up next with his babies repeating “Nice place” a couple of times. 

“I was expecting more blue and more books.” Eclipse chuckled as she looked around at the few blue items and lack of books.

“I am going to get more books eventually,” Adryn responded as she watched Laxus carry Serenity into her bedroom. Adryn then frowned to herself. “I don't think Serenity has any other clothing than what she is wearing right now. We'll have to go out and buy her new stuff some other day.” Adryn sounded a little sad that her daughter didn't have much at that moment. 

“Don't worry, Serenity will be happy no matter what. With or without more clothes.” Eclipse tried to reassure her best friend. Adryn seemed to take that to heart and smiled at her in return. Eventually, Laxus returned to the living room after shutting Serenity's door behind him. Adryn and Eclipse sat on the couch while Evergreen sat in one chair and Bickslow sat in the other. Freed and Laxus decided to stand, mostly because there was no more room for them to sit anywhere. 

“I am glad the three of you live here now. It can become your home, rather than just Laxus' apartment.” Freed commented as he looked around the room. 

“I will definitely feel at home here. Well, hopefully.” Adryn spoke up but then began to speak again. “Well, most of all, I hope Serenity feels at home here. I don't think she's ever had a true home before and I want this one to be a good one for her.” 

“You really are sounding like a mother now. How does that feel?” Evergreen spoke in a teasing voice causing Adryn to pout. 

“Well, it's a nice feeling. I wasn't too sure about it at first, but now that I have Serenity in my life, I don't think I could go another day without her.”

“What about you, Laxus? How do you feel about being a father?” Freed questioned as he turned his attention to the tall man. Everyone else in the room looked to him as well, especially Adryn. She was still a little unsure about his feelings towards the matter. However, Laxus had a thoughtful look on his face, shocking everyone around him. 

“It really is a nice feeling,” Laxus admitted after a moment of thought. Evergreen frowned instantly. 

“That's all you have to say?” Evergreen asked as she looked over to the man. Laxus just looked at her and frowned as well. He clearly wanted to say more, but he knew it was totally out of character for him to get too overly emotional about things. 

“I feel the same as Adryn. At this point, I don't know what I would do without Serenity or Adryn.” Laxus finally spoke up after being glared at by Evergreen for a few minutes. 

“Just say you love them!” 

“Isn't it obvious how Laxus feels? We shouldn't pressure him.” Freed butted in as Laxus' face started to turn into a grimace. He clearly wasn't too thrilled to be put on the spot. However, Laxus seemed to relax after Freed interrupted the conversation. 

“Ever, be nice to Laxus. He has his 'big tough man' appearance to keep up.” Eclipse joked as she smirked at the other girl. Evergreen chuckled along with Adryn but Laxus just frowned. 

“Is that how you see me?” Laxus couldn't help but ask as he looked to Eclipse. She just smiled at him and shrugged her shoulders. 

“Now now, stop teasing my boyfriend.” Adryn finally spoke up, putting a stop to the comments directed at Laxus. 

“You're getting married, he's your fiancé now.” Eclipse's words caused Adryn and Laxus to both pause. It seemed like they were not quite used to that yet. However, that was the effective end of that conversation. 

The group continued to chat about randomness as the night grew later. Until Freed realized how late it was getting and decided that it was the best that they head home. So, they all said their goodnights and headed to their homes. Adryn was even more tired now, but she decided that she and Laxus needed to stay up a little while later. She wanted to talk with him privately. 

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Laxus was climbing into bed while questioning his lover. Adryn was already in their bed all ready to sleep. 

“Let's talk about our wedding. We should probably start planning it now.” Adryn spoke up as she closed her book that she'd been reading. 

“Alright.” Laxus fully got into bed and got situated while sitting up like Adryn was. 

“Do you want the wedding to happen sooner or later?” 

“Sooner. I want you to be officially mine before anything else happens.” Laxus seemed to be a little anxious about that. He really didn't want anything to happen to them again, but he definitely didn't want anything to break them up. He didn't think it'd happen easily, but after everything they'd gone through, he was extremely eager to get married to the only girl he'd ever truly loved. 

“I agree. So, I was thinking we should have our wedding at the guildhall. After all, that's where we first met.” To Adryn's suggestion, Laxus just nodded his head before yawning. “You're tired. I am too. We should probably talk more about this later.” 

“Yeah. Let's get to sleep.” Laxus leaned over to kiss Adryn and she returned it. The two then snuggled into bed and with each other before drifting off to sleep. They both had smiles on their faces as sleep overtook them.


	19. The Time Before

The next morning, Laxus and Adryn were awoken by their bed shaking. They were confused and opened their eyes to see Serenity, on their bed bouncing in place. She had a huge smile on her face and when she saw that they were awake, she pounced on them. 

“Good morning!” Serenity called out as she laid between the couple. 

“Morning,” Laxus grumbled as he rolled over to get out of bed. Adryn sat up and smiled at her daughter. 

“Good morning, how did you sleep?” Adryn questioned her child as she watched Laxus move over to the closet to grab new clothes for the day. He then left the room and entered the bathroom. 

“I slept great! How did you two sleep?” Serenity seemed like a completely different child. She clearly was feeling more at home now and was becoming more of the child she should be. 

“I slept well. I'm sure Laxus did as well.” Adryn then climbed out of bed and went to gather her own clothes for the day. 

“I'll leave you to put your day clothes on. I'll be in the living room.” Serenity then climbed off of the bed and headed out the door, closing it behind her. Adryn then got dressed for the day and as she was changing, Laxus reentered the room all dressed and ready for the day. Once both of them were done, they exited the room and met up with Serenity in the living room. 

“I'll make breakfast, you two set the table,” Laxus told the two others as he walked into the kitchen. The two girls agreed and made their way to their table. They collected their tableware and began to set the table as Laxus made them breakfast. 

It didn't take too long for them to finish with the table, and for Laxus to finish with breakfast. They quickly ate their food while chatting about their dreams from the night. Serenity had a particularly interesting dream, as she dreamed about Adryn being pregnant. It startled Adryn and Laxus, but they wrote it off as just a wishful dream from the child. 

“So, where are we going today?” Serenity asked as the three of them left their apartment. 

“To the guildhall. We want to talk about the wedding with our friends.” Adryn responded as she grabbed a hold of Serenity's hand. Serenity then offered her other hand to Laxus and he took it. The three quickly made their way through town and reached the guildhall. Once there, they met up with their group of friends. Meaning the Thunder Legion, Eclipse, and Mirajane.

“So, how was your first night in the new place?” Mirajane questioned as soon as they were all together. 

“It was great. You should come and visit soon.” Adryn smiled at her friend. “Laxus and I also talked about our wedding. We figured out that we want it to happen here and sooner rather than later.” 

“Have you figured out anything in detail?” Eclipse asked simply. 

“Hmm. Well, I think I know who I want to be my maid of honor.”

“Oh?” Mirajane and Eclipse both looked at each other, wondering who would be the one that Adryn would pick.” 

“Both of you,” Adryn answered their unspoken question. “I want you, Mira to be co-maid's of honor with Eclipse. I want both of you to be in that role since both of you mean so much to me.” 

“Adryn!” Both Mirajane and Eclipse hurried and wrapped their arms around the redhead. She tensed up but allowed it to happen. 

“I take it that you two are alright with that?” 

“Yeah, we're more than alright, right Eclipse?” Mirajane questioned as she looked over to the pink-haired girl. Eclipse just nodded her head in return. 

“What about me?” Evergreen butted in, ruining the moment the three girls were having. 

“I was getting to you.” Adryn smiled at Evergreen. “I want you to be a bridesmaid.”

“Good, I accept.” Evergreen then returned to being silent. 

“So, who's going to be Laxus' best man?” Eclipse asked as she turned her attention to the men around her. Laxus seemed to pause and think about it for a moment. 

“Freed.” Laxus finally responded as he turned to look to the green-haired man. Freed seemed a little shocked to hear that and looked to Laxus immediately. 

“Seriously?” Freed questioned a little hesitantly. He wasn't sure if he'd heard right.

“I want you as my best man,” Laxus stated simply. Instantly, Bickslow frowned and began to pout. Adryn immediately noticed and brought attention to the man.

“Bicks? You good?” Adryn asked even though she already knew the answer. 

“I only chose Freed because he's better at planning and the details than you are,” Laxus told the man, but everyone knew that it wasn't the total truth. Freed and Laxus were much closer than Laxus and Bickslow. 

“So, I'll be a groomsman?” Bickslow questioned hopefully. Laxus nodded his head and Bickslow smiled at the man. 

“You'll be my only groomsman,” Laxus stated, making sure that everyone else knew that he wasn't about to have a bunch of people as important figures in the wedding. 

“Now that it's all settled, I have to go talk with Nova.” Adryn declared causing Laxus to look at her with hesitancy in his eyes. “Don't worry, I just need to clear up anything with her that is bothering both of us.” To her words, Laxus just nodded his head. So, alone, Adryn headed to the infirmary, which was where Nova still was. She'd sustained some injuries that needed time to heal, physically and emotionally. 

“Adryn?” Nova noticed Adryn entering the room immediately.

“Hey, sorry I didn't come here sooner. I was... thinking we need to talk, but I wasn't sure how to go about it.” 

“I can understand that...” Nova looked down at her hands and frowned deeply. 

“Listen, Nova, you will always hold a place in my heart, but my heart now belongs to Laxus. I'm truly happy with him and I don't think I could be with anyone else anymore.” Almost instantly, Nova burst out into tears. 

“I'm so sorry, Adryn. I didn't mean to cause any trouble but I can't help but still feel feelings for you. I was truly in love with you when we were younger before Ivan came into the picture.” 

“I'm sorry for moving on while you were suffering.” 

“No, it's better this way. We can both be happy without each other... or at least I hope I can be.” Adryn felt terrible and made her way to Nova to hug her. The two girls held each other for a few moments before they released each other. “Let's head out of here. I think I'm good now.” 

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I need to get out of here. I hate being stuck here all alone.” Nova then climbed out of bed. She lost her balance a little bit, but Adryn stabilized her. The two girls then left the infirmary to see the Thunder Legion, Laxus, Eclipse, and Serenity all chatting and as they got closer, they realized that they were chatting about Laxus' and Adryn's wedding. 

“Hey, Nova?”

“Yeah?”

“How about you be a bridesmaid. Is that alright with you? I want you to be a part of the wedding since you mean so much to me.” 

“...Alright, I think that's a good idea.” Nova smiled at Adryn and it brought the attention of the others. 

“So, Aunt Nova gets to be in the wedding and not me?” Serenity questioned as tears began to fill her eyes. Laxus and Adryn immediately got worried and looked to each other. Laxus then got the answer himself and began to speak. 

“You can be the flower girl. That's a thing, right?” Laxus replied looking back to Adryn for confirmation. Adryn nodded her head and approached Serenity. 

“Your father is right. However, that's an important job, do you think you can handle it?” Adryn questioned her daughter who instantly started nodding her head enthusiastically. 

“I can! I can!” Serenity cried out as she bounced in her seat. 

“Good.” Adryn smiled at the girl as Laxus patted Serenity on the head. 

“Hello, children.” Master Makarov stated as he approached the group. He'd been off at a meeting and just returned only to hear the wedding news from Mirajane. “I hear my grandson is getting married, is that right?” 

“They will be getting married soon. We're already planning it.” Eclipse responded to the man. 

“Congratulations. Do you have anyone to officiate the wedding yet?” 

“We aren't that far in the planning, but do you have any ideas?” 

“I can do it, and I want to.” 

“Really?” Laxus questioned as he looked to his grandfather.

“Yes, do you have a problem with that?” Master Makarov sounded dead serious and Laxus just shook his head in return. “Good.” 

So, with that, everyone began to take this wedding planning more seriously. With everyone close to the couple pitching in their ideas, the wedding was getting planned very quickly and efficiently.

~

A couple of months later, the wedding was planned and all that was left was the bachelor and bachelorette parties.

“Where are you two taking me?” Laxus questioned as Freed and Bickslow guided the man through town. 

“To a bar that just opened. I've heard it's a good place to go to due to its alcohol.” Freed responded simply as he looked back to Laxus. Laxus just frowned and didn't put up a fight anymore. He was interested in drinking, but it was the day before his wedding, so he wasn't sure if he should be doing any heavy drinking or not. 

“Everything will be fine, Laxus! Don't worry!” Bickslow stated with his babies echoing “Don't worry!” a couple of times. Despite that, Laxus worried. 

Even so, his worries disappeared after a few drinks. Laxus, Freed and Bickslow all were getting drunk at a good rate. Even so, worries returned in the form of skimpily dressed women approaching Laxus and the other two. 

“Go away. I'm getting married tomorrow.” Laxus shooed the women away, but they just wouldn't take no for an answer. 

“Oh, come on, you aren't married yet.” One of the girls stated as she tried to get her hands on Laxus. The man kept pulling away but they weren't stopping. 

“Someone like you shouldn't get married anyway, you look like you want to have some fun.” Another of the women spoke as she moved closer to the tall man. 

“Enough! Get lost girls, you are not welcome here with us.” Freed finally couldn't take it and  
moved to shoo the women away physically. They finally understood the fact that they were not wanted and left the men alone. Freed then turned around to ask Bickslow a question, only to see that the man was gone and had headed over with the women. Bickslow turned to wave to Freed and Laxus before giving his full attention to the women he was now with. 

“Well then.” Laxus couldn't help but chuckle at the situation. However, Freed was not thrilled about it. 

“We are supposed to be celebrating you, not going off with random girls!” Freed was outraged. 

“It's alright, Freed. Let Bickslow be happy.” 

“You've grown softer, Laxus.” 

“Have I?” Laxus asked, but he already knew that he was softer now that he had Adryn and Serenity in his life. Freed couldn't help but smile and take another drink of his alcohol. 

Meanwhile, Adryn was being dragged out to a different bar in town. Serenity was left with those at the guildhall and would be taken home by Master Makarov. So, that left Eclipse, Mirajane, and Nova to make Adryn have a fun night. For a little while, everything was fun. Drinks were flowing and the girls were having fun just chatting with each other. Everything changed when a group of men approached them.

“Hey, cuties. How are you tonight?” One man spoke up, clearly drunk. 

“We aren't interested,” Eclipse spoke up immediately as she stood up from her seat. She wasn't sure what these men would do, so she was all defensive. 

“Hey now, you aren't being too kind. We just wanna talk.” Another man chuckled as he tried to wrap an arm around Eclipse. Instantly, before the man could touch her, Eclipse had a whirlwind of air swirl around her protectively. 

“Leave. Now.” Eclipse growled as lightning began to crackle around her with the wind. 

“Whoa! We... We just wanted to talk!” The first man was clearly freaked out, meaning these were ordinary men. 

“And we just wanted to enjoy our night. So piss off.” The men got it finally and ran out of the bar, tripping over each other as they left. As Eclipse calmed down, multiple people in the bar clapped for her. 

“That was amazing!” Adryn stated as she stood up and hugged her best friend. 

“Indeed, that was amazing.” The group of girls turned around to see a man standing just a little way away from them. He was a taller man with black long hair. His right eye was blue and his left eye was red. He had a tattoo over his right eye and wore all black. “Those men have caused a lot of problems with any women who enter this bar, but I doubt they will be bothering anyone again.” 

“Then I'm glad I put a stop to their actions,” Eclipse responded, as she smiled at the man. He returned her smile and began to speak again.

“May I buy you a drink?” 

“We're in the middle of my best friend's bachelorette party right now, so I can't-”

“Yes, you can!” Adryn, Mirajane, and Nova all yelled at once. Eclipse was caught off guard but smiled as she turned from her friends back to the man. 

“Alright, I'd love it if you bought me a drink.” Eclipse then walked over to the man and they instantly began to hit it off. Eventually, the man, named Dracul was invited to go over with Adryn and the others. He congratulated her and they all fawned over the attractive and unique man. The girls found out that Dracul was a traveler from another land but had been staying in Magnolia for a little while, but was leaving the next day. That upset Eclipse, but she didn't dare show it. 

“Well, I'd love to keep chatting with you girls, but it's gotten late,” Dracul stated as he looked out the window to see the moon was high up in the sky. 

“Oh shit. We stayed out too late. I'm getting married tomorrow, we need to get home!” Adryn stated, a little panicked. 

“May I walk you home? I wouldn't want anything to happen to you all.” 

“We'd love that. Especially because we are going to be heading out of town and into the woods.” Eclipse responded simply. The girls were going to be staying in Adryn's old home, while Laxus and Freed were going to be staying in Laxus' old apartment. It was so they could be fully apart to rejoin together for the rest of their lives. It was some symbolic stuff that both Laxus and Adryn didn't really understand, but the others insisted they spend one last night in their original homes. Where everyone would sleep that night was unknown, but for the sake of the symbolic meanings, they would put up with anything. 

So, with that, the girls and Dracul left the bar and headed through the town. Eclipse and Dracul walked a little behind the others to chat more privately with each other. Adryn, Mirajane and Nova all talked to each other as they went as well. However, too soon for Eclipse and Dracul, they reached the little house in the woods. 

“Well, I guess this is goodbye?” Eclipse began as she stood outside the door with Dracul. 

“No, we will see each other again.” The man stated with a smile on his face. 

“Good, I would like to see you again.” 

“I would like that as well.” 

“Come on, sis! Stop flirting and get in here! It's bedtime!” Nova yelled out from inside the house. That caused Dracul to chuckle a little bit. 

“You should go. We will see each other again, I swear.” Dracul then began to walk away with a wave. 

“Be safe on your way back to your place!” Eclipse called out to him. 

“I will be.” Dracul turned to smirk at Eclipse, before disappearing into the darkness. 

“He was totally your type, right?” Adryn's voice from behind Eclipse caused the pink-haired girl to jump. Eclipse quickly turned around to frown at Adryn. 

“He was.” Eclipse simply responded. Eclipse seemed to be a little unsure of the man, or at least a little unsure of his words to her. 

“You will meet again. He said so himself, and he doesn't strike me as someone who lies.” 

“You're right. At least I think you are.” 

“Come on, I'm tired. Get back inside!” Nova cried out from the couch she was laying on. Mirajane was seated in a chair nearly falling asleep. So, Adryn and Eclipse hurried inside the house. Adryn decided that she would sleep in her bed with Eclipse, while Mirajane took the floor in the living room. Adryn provided blankets for her to lay on and to cover up with. Nova got the couch due to her literally passing out there. They covered her up with a blanket before they all went to bed. 

“I can't believe the amount of blankets you have,” Eclipse noted as she climbed into bed with Adryn. That caused Adryn to chuckle a bit too loudly, before putting her hand over her mouth to silence herself. 

“Yeah, well, it gets cold out here sometimes. I need a cocoon of blankets to survive at times.” Adryn's comment made Eclipse laugh more quietly than Adryn had. With that, the two girls laid down and tried to fall asleep. However, it takes Eclipse hours to fully fall asleep and that night, Adryn found she couldn't sleep after a few minutes of trying. Usually, she falls right to sleep, especially when she's consumed some alcohol. “Psst... Eclipse, you still up?” Adryn whispered as she rolled over to look at her friend. She was met with eyes looking right back at her. “Holy fuck!” Adryn gasped out as she jolted backward. She nearly fell out of bed but caught herself. “Not funny.”

“I thought it was pretty funny actually,” Eclipse responded with a smirk on her face. “What's up? Can't sleep?”

“No. I don't know why.”

“Dude, you're getting married tomorrow. That's obviously why you can't sleep.”

“Oh... you right.” Adryn and Eclipse shared a laugh before laying on their backs to stare up at the ceiling. “I know I shouldn't be, but I'm nervous.” 

“How come?”

“I never thought that I could be this happy. I don't know why, but I'm just waiting for another bad thing to occur. It's like I can't get a break, and this is going too well. I have an amazing daughter, and tomorrow, I'll have an amazing husband. I have two best friends and other close people that I decently get along with. I just...” Adryn trailed off as she closed her eyes in thought. With Adryn's pause came a silence that lasted for more than a few moments. 

“You just think that you don't deserve this happiness, right?” Eclipse broke the silence finally. Adryn re-opened her eyes and looked to her friend. 

“I don't deserve this life after everything I've done. After everyone I've killed and hurt. How can someone like me be this happy and at peace?”

“You deserve the world, Adryn. You never did anything out of malicious intent. You thought you were protecting Nova and yourself. You might have done a lot of wrongs, but there are people out there who've done even worse than you. Hell, you, me and Nova all haven't always been ourselves. We suffered too. So, I think you more than deserve this happiness, this life you have and everyone you care about. I don't think anything else is going to happen to you. Sure, there will still be hard times to come, but with Laxus and Serenity, you'll get through them. You and Laxus share a love that most people don't get. With everything you've been through with each other, I don't think anything could tear you apart.”

“...Damn Eclipse, that was a lot to take in. Thank you. I think I really needed to hear that.” Adryn then yawned and looked over to Eclipse. “I guess I'm finally sleepy.” 

“Get some rest. We can't have you falling asleep on your big day.” Eclipse then rolled over to face away from Adryn as Adryn did the same. The redhead then slowly drifted off to sleep, while the pink-haired girl stayed awake for another few hours before finally falling to her own sleepiness.


	20. The Big Day

The following morning, Adryn woke up from a peaceful sleep. She sat up in bed and stretched. She had no headache or any other pains from the night of drinking and she felt completely relaxed. However, that all came crashing down when she remembered the one detail that slipped her mind.

“HOLY FUCK I'M GETTING MARRIED TODAY!” Adryn burst out loudly, causing Eclipse next to her to jolt so hard she fell out of bed.

“Why are you yelling!?” Eclipse snapped as she got up from the ground. She was about to yell more, but the panic-stricken face that Adryn was now wearing answered her question.

“I'm getting married today! What time is it? How late did we sleep in?!” Adryn was in full-blown panic mode.

“Don't worry, it can't be too late in the day, besides, you're getting married later in the day. So everything will be alright.” Eclipse reassured the panicking girl. That moment, Mirajane and Nova entered the room.

“We heard screaming? Is everything okay?” Mirajane questioned as she looked at the two girls in the room.

“Why do you look so scared, Adryn?” Nova questioned as she looked to her friend.

“We... I... ready?” Adryn's sentence was so broken up and missing a few words, making it so that no one could understand her.

“Calm down, and try that again.” Eclipse stated as she climbed back into bed and patted Adryn's back.

“We need to get ready, right? I need to get my dress. We all need our dresses. We need to get my child.”

“Mira, you go get Serenity and Evergreen and then return here so we all can get ready together.” Eclipse took control and Mirajane nodded her head to her orders. She was out the door as soon as she found her shoes. “Nova, you go find the makeup that I have in the bathroom. All of it. We'll need to doll ourselves up in time.”

“Okay, got it!” Nova was then off to collect all the makeup she could find.

“Now Adryn, you need to calm down. This all will go well and you need to remain as calm as possible.”

“I don't think I can do that,” Adryn muttered as she put her face in her hands. She was breathing heavily and beginning to cry as well. It was clear she was on the verge of a panic attack.

“You need to remain calm!”

“Yelling at me won't help!” Adryn snapped back at Eclipse. Eclipse sighed and nodded her head.

“Sorry, but listen, you're getting married to the man you love today, there's nothing to be worried or nervous over.”

“I get that, I just am freaking out! I don't know why!”

“You've been through so much in your life, this is nothing compared to all of that.” Eclipse put her hands on Adryn's shoulders and put her forehead against hers. “This is nothing, but everything at the same time. You can get through this. Just try to calm down a bit. It won't do you any good to freak out now.” Adryn stared into Eclipse's eyes and sighed to herself. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before opening them back up.

“Okay, I think... I think I'm good. I'm still nervous, but I'm not going to panic anymore.” Adryn finally responded after a minute of being in silence.

“Alright, good. Now, let's get you all ready to get ready. Go now. Shoo, shoo.” Eclipse very literally pulled Adryn out of bed and pushed her towards the bathroom to clean up and get ready to get ready. Nova had already set up all the makeup in the kitchen on the table. So, Eclipse went over to her sister and began to sort through the makeup to see which ones would work for which person.

Eventually, Mirajane returned with Serenity and Evergreen in tow. Both girls were ready and eager to get ready for the wedding. Adryn however, remained in the bathroom dwelling on her fears.

“Where's my mother?” Serenity questioned with a yawn. She was sleeping peacefully before Mirajane arrived and woke her up.

“Your mother is in the bathroom panicking,” Eclipse responded as she checked the makeup containers to make sure there was enough of everything she wanted to use for herself.

“Should I go and try to get her out?” The little girl asked innocently. However, Eclipse just shook her head.

“I think Mira needs to go and help. I tried already, but I think you could help her calm down.” So with that, Mirajane was the one who was chosen to be the next to try to help Adryn. So, the woman walked over to the door and took a breath before speaking. She wanted to think about what she was going to say before she tried.

“Adryn? Are you alright in there?” Mirajane's kind voice reached through the door, startling Adryn. She'd been just staring at the mirror, wondering if Laxus would even be there to get married to her.

“No... I don't think I am.” Adryn responded simply as she opened the door. Mirajane led her to the couch and sat down with her.

“What's wrong?”

“What if Laxus changed his mind? What if he doesn't want to marry me anymore? What if he decided that marriage isn't for him?” Adryn was wide-eyed and staring at the floor as she poured out her worries to her friend.

“I saw Laxus this morning before Mira came to get me. Don't worry, he still wants to marry you.” Evergreen stated from her place at the makeup filled table. Adryn's head snapped up to look at the other girl.

“How did he seem?”

“He was calm. Completely calm.”

“See, he's just fine.” Mirajane smiled at Adryn, hoping it would reassure her.

“Well, I mean, he doesn't even seem like he's nervous or excited. It just seems like just another day to him.”

“See! What if he doesn't even care about it at all!? I knew something was wro-”

“Adryn, it's alright!” Eclipse yelled from her spot at the makeup table, as she interrupted Adryn's panicked cries. Adryn stopped talking but was breathing heavily. She just stared blankly at Eclipse. “Now listen to me. Laxus loves you, very much. He wouldn't go this far if he was just going to abandon you. So, let's get you calmed down and ready before we're late to the wedding.”

“Yeah... Alright... You're right...” Adryn was still a little hesitant to believe her, but the redhead was slowly understanding that her thoughts were crazy and irrational. So, with that, the group of women and one little girl began to get ready. They had their dresses there and were all ready to get ready.

Eclipse and Mirajane's dresses were the same. They were a purple color, specifically a wisteria purple dress. The tops of the dresses were lace and had no sleeves. The neckline was right to their neck, so there was no chest showing. The back of the top cut down as a deep V to a little higher than where the top meets the bottom. The dresses bottom was to the ground and quite flowy with a slit off to the left from the bottom to about the thighs. Both girls had fallen in love with the dress as soon as they saw it.

Nova and Evergreen's dresses were also the same. They were the same color as Eclipse and Mirajane's dresses; a wisteria purple color. However, the tops of their dresses had a sweetheart neckline with two straps. The straps were about an inch at the base and at the top of the shoulder they were a few inches. The back of the top created a heart shape showing their backs. The bottom of their dresses was flowy with no slit. It was a rather simple yet beautiful dress that both girls grew to love.

Serenity also got a special new dress for the wedding. Her flower girl dress was pink, specifically cherry blossom pink. The top of her dress was similar to that of Eclipse and Mirajane's. It was lace with no sleeves and right up to her neck. The back was the same as the front and showed no back. The bottom of the dress was puffy and was made of tulle, which reached the ground. It had a little pink belt where the top met the bottom.

Adryn's dress, the most important one of all, was powder blue. Her top was a sweetheart neckline and was strapless. The back of the top cut down in a V shape. The bottom was made of tulle and reached the ground. There was also a belt, starting at the right of the dress, it had little flowers and sparkles, with the flowers growing larger as they reached the left side of the front of the dress, and at the left side of the dress, ending the flowers was one large flower with sparkles around it. The flowers themselves were the same color as the dress. She had a train flowing behind her that was about 2 feet long.

~

Meanwhile, Laxus and Freed were getting worried. Bickslow had yet to show up and they were about to start searching for him. Thankfully though, the man burst through the door right before they decided to look for him.

“Hey guys, sorry I'm late!” Bickslow stated as he tried to catch his breath. For once, he didn't have his babies with him, which instantly worried Freed.

“Where are your 'babies'? Why aren't they with you?” Freed questioned as he walked over to Bickslow.

“I decided to leave them at my place. I figured I wouldn't need them for the day.” As shocking as that was, the other men just decided to go with it.

“How was your night?” Laxus asked from his place on the couch. He was still wearing his clothes from the previous night and didn't look like he was even close to getting ready.

“It was good,” Bickslow smirked as he spoke, but then frowned. “Why aren't you getting ready?”

“We have plenty of time?” Laxus stated as more of a question. Freed just sighed and turned to Bickslow.

“We should at least start getting ready.” Freed told the other man, who nodded in return before smirking at Freed.

“Yeah, you take just as long as a girl does anyway.”

“I have a lot of hair to deal with! It isn't my fault!” Freed and Bickslow then disappeared into the bedroom, which was where the tuxedos were laid out, waiting for the men to put them on. “Laxus, I know you think you have enough time to just lounge around, but you need to start getting ready as well.”

“Fine,” Laxus grumbled before getting up from his seat. He entered the bedroom and grabbed his tuxedo before heading out of the room to the bathroom

to get ready for the day and then change.

Laxus' tuxedo was pure white on the outside and powder blue on the inside with a black tie. The powder blue was to match Adryn's dress, not that Laxus ever saw it. Freed picked out what Laxus would wear since he knew what Adryn's dress looked like.

Freed and Bickslow decided to match for the occasion. Both their tuxedos were wisteria purple with black ties. Freed didn't want Bickslow to feel left out or like he wasn't as important, so that is the reason as to why they matched. Laxus didn't mind anyway, so it was alright.

It took Laxus longer than he thought to get ready and put on his tuxedo. After he was done, he left the bathroom and was met by Freed examining him. Freed then frowned and approached Laxus and began to fix his clothing. Laxus was confused but let Freed do what he needed to do. Once that was done, Freed stood back and looked him over again.

“Your hair is all wrong.” Freed finally spoke up causing Laxus to frown. “Sit down, let me fix it.” Laxus' hair was standing up like he'd been shocked or something by his own lightning. As much as it looked cool, Freed knew it needed to be under control for that day. So, Freed got out his styling gel and went to work. After a few minutes of styling and fixing, Freed stood back again and smiled.

“Whoa, you look good Laxus.” Bickslow chuckled as he exited the bedroom wearing his tuxedo finally. Freed was the last one to get ready. Even though they all knew it would take him forever.

However, with Laxus now finished and Bickslow also done, Freed was able to focus on getting himself ready. He decided to manage his hair by putting it up in a ponytail. Then he continued to get ready for the day before finally putting on his tuxedo. He hoped it looked alright with his hair color, but it was irrelevant now as he had no choice but to wear the tuxedo.

“That took you a long time, Freed. What were you doing?” Bickslow laughed as he turned around to see Freed. He paused and then smirked at the man. “You know, Adryn might want to marry you today with how cute you look.”

“Do not tease me, Bickslow,” Freed spoke as he walked past the man to sit down.

“She better not want to marry anyone else, that'd be bad, right, Laxus?”

“It would be bad,” Laxus responded after a moment, but then he continued speaking. “But I don't think she'd want that. No matter how 'cute' they looked.”

“You are way too calm. I bet Adryn is having a panic attack because of how calm you are. She got all your worries.” Bickslow was trying to tease the man, but he had no idea how right he was.

~

A couple of hours and some more panic later, everyone was there in the guildhall. Adryn and the girls were all there hiding in a room while Laxus and the other boys were standing around waiting for everyone to arrive. Mostly everyone had gotten there already, but there were a few more people who needed to show up. That was giving Adryn even more time to worry.

“Is Laxus out there? Is he ready? He isn't running away, right?” Adryn was pacing back and forth panicking once more.

“Just don't ruin your make up.” Eclipse commented simply from her seat as she finished touch-ups on Nova.

“Yes, Laxus is out there and he is ready and not running away,” Evergreen reassured the scared girl, ignoring the comment from Eclipse.

“How is he feeling?” Adryn asked as she turned to her friend.

“He is calm. No change there.”

“He should be emotional!” Adryn snapped back, but that just caused Evergreen to chuckle.

“When has Laxus ever been emotional?” That question stopped Adryn in her tracks. She spun around to Evergreen and laughed.

“You right.” That caused the others in the room to chuckle at the girl's words.

“Mother, it's time for us to get ready to go.” Serenity had been outside of the room, waiting for the signal for the girls to start the ceremony.

“Oh god, I'm going to throw up...” Adryn instantly leaned against a chair and held her mouth. She was pale and shaking now. It hit her all at once. “I can't do this...”

“Oh fuck yes you can!” Eclipse snapped, causing Adryn to turn to her best friend. Adryn had a look of shock and confusion on her face, so Eclipse continued speaking. “You can do this! You know that you can! Besides, it isn't like you could really run away now, none of us would let you, and Laxus would probably be devastated. You don't want to upset him do you?”

“Of course not! I'd never intentionally do anything to hurt him!” Adryn instantly replied as she stood up straighter. “Okay... I think I can do this! Let's go before I change my mind!”

“Serenity, do tell them we're ready!” Eclipse called out to the young girl. She nodded her head in return and hurried off to notify the others. Meanwhile, Eclipse did some touch-ups to Adryn's face to hide the fact that she had panicked yet again. “Okay, we have to go in front of you, but make sure you come when it's your cue, alright? Don't make us worry and especially don't make me come after you.”

“Yes. Alright. I understand.” Adryn responded in a complete monotone voice.

“Is Adryn even hearing you?” Evergreen questioned in a worried tone as she collected Adryn's bouquet of flowers. The flowers were tulips of different shades of red and blue. The ribbon holding them together was white.

“I'm listening and hearing, I swear. I'm just... hoping I don't trip and fall in front of everyone...” Adryn replied to Evergreen's question herself.

“Now that is your worst fear?” Eclipse asked with a laugh.

“Hey! It's possible! I don't want to make a fool of myself in front of Laxus!”

“I doubt he'd care. Honestly Adryn, you're making a big deal out of nothing.” Hearing that from Eclipse caused Adryn to frown deeply.

“Get out. I'm done with this conversation. I'm sure Serenity is ready to walk down the aisle and she's probably waiting for you.” Adryn's nerves turned to anger in an instant. Eclipse went to open her mouth, but Adryn wasn't having it. “Go, shoo.” Adryn shooed away the girls and followed after them, now holding the bouquet of flowers that Evergreen had been holding. The girls made their way to where Serenity and their wedding planner was waiting. They had to get a wedding planner after realizing how difficult it was to plan a wedding.

“Okay, now Serenity, you will walk down first, and once she is done, Eclipse will go first, followed by Mirajane, then Evergreen and then Nova. Once they have reached where they need to stand, then you will walk, alright Adryn?” The wedding planner lady spoke up, telling them once again how they needed to do this.

“I understand. Let's just get this over with, before I begin to panic again.” Adryn muttered as she looked down at her hands and the flowers.

“Got it. Serenity, go.” The little girl nodded her head and picked up her basket. She had tulip petals in the basket and they were pure white.

“Good luck, mother. I'm sure everything will go alright.” Serenity smiled at her mother before heading around the corner and starting her walk down the aisle. Once she was done, the girls began their walk in their order. Just with the time ticking by, Adryn could feel her heart begin to race once again as she felt the panic beginning to set in once more. However, this time, before she could have a panic attack, it was her time to walk.

“Go Adryn. You'll do great.” With that, Adryn made her first moves. She slowly turned the corner and began to walk down the aisle of flower petals. Her eyes were on the ground for a moment, before she lifted her head to meet Laxus' eyes. At first, he showed nothing but calmness in his eyes, but the moment their eyes met, everything changed for both of them.

Laxus' calm demeanor broke and the emotions of the day hit him hard. He felt a smile creep onto his face and he nearly looked away from Adryn due to the growing feelings. He was now feeling pride and happiness like he'd never experienced before. He was so proud that this woman was about to be his, and with that came happiness. If it was anyone but him, he would have been moved to tears, but he kept that part of him under control.

However, Adryn could not. She was now tearing up at seeing Laxus all dressed up like he was and realizing what was about to happen. It was like it wasn't real until that moment in time. It affected her, even more, to see such emotions in his eyes directed at her. Usually, Laxus didn't show such emotions out in the open, so it was causing even more emotions in Adryn.

So, Adryn walked down the aisle and tried her hardest to not cry and ruin her makeup. Soon, she reached Laxus and he held out a hand to her. Adryn couldn't help but smile brightly at him and put her hand in his. The two smiled at each other and listened to Master Makarov speaking the usual wedding stuff. The man then smiled at Laxus and Adryn, bringing their attention to him.

“I am truly happy for the two of you, and I wish you the best. Now, I believe the two of you have things to say to each other?” Master Makarov spoke up, causing Adryn to panic yet again. She had a piece of paper in the top of her dress, and she was the one who was supposed to start. “Adryn?” The redhead nodded her head and pulled out the paper before unfolding it. With that, she looked to Laxus one more time before reading what she wrote.

“Laxus, you are one of my best friends and I couldn't think about a world without you in it. I am so thankful for meeting you and becoming so close to you. Even though we've faced a lot of problems, I wouldn't trade them for the world, as it has made us stronger together. You are everything I've ever wanted and everything that I have ever needed. I know we will have a great life together, no matter what this world throws at us. I know you will remain by my side, just as I will remain by your side. Nothing will tear me away from you, not now and not ever. I love you, with every part of my body, mind, and soul. Thank you for making my dreams come true, even the ones that I never even knew about. Thank you for being you.” Adryn read what she wrote and kept her cool the entire time. Her voice only cracked a few times, but the tears were held back. That was until Laxus pulled out his piece of paper and began to read.

“You know how I feel about you, but Freed told me that you need to hear this from me, especially today... Adryn, I never thought that I would ever want to settle down and get married to anybody. That was until I fell in love with you. It came as a surprise, but a welcome one. You have been a change in my life and have brought with you many new things, but I wouldn't change any of that for anything else. You have brought me a daughter, who I adore just as much as I adore you. You've given me a family, one that I never thought I wanted or needed, but now that I have it, I would be torn apart should I ever lose you or Serenity. I love you, Adryn, with all that I am and all that I will ever be. Thank you for being in my life and for staying by my side.” By the end of Laxus' speech, Adryn was in full-blown tears. She was carefully wiping away her tears as she tried to regain control of herself. Laxus, himself, had become slightly emotional during his speech. He kept his voice even but in his eyes, there was so much emotion. Adryn could see the love and adoration in his eyes.

Unbeknownst to Adryn and Laxus, the others watching and listening to the two speak were feeling their emotions as well, especially those with significant others. They all were either crying or at the very least, feeling emotional. Nova was having a hard time keeping it together as she was feeling intense pain from hearing the two speaking about each other. However, the girl chose to not show it on her face, as she didn't want to ruin anything.

The ceremony continued with Master Makarov continuing his long speech about marriage and other things that you say during a wedding. Laxus and Adryn were in their own little world as he spoke to them and everyone else. Laxus had reached over and wiped away tears that still fell from Adryn's eyes. She'd calmed down considerably, but she was still slightly crying.

“Alright, Laxus,” Master Makarov spoke up, bringing the two's attention back to the ceremony. “Do you take Adryn, as your wife, for the rest of your lives, no matter what this world throws your way?”

“I do,” Laxus spoke as he looked Adryn directly in her eyes, causing more tears to come forth.

“Adryn, do you take Laxus, as your husband, for the rest of your lives, no matter what this world throws your way?”

“Of course I do,” Adryn responded through her tears. Despite that, Adryn was smiling brighter than she'd ever smiled in a long time.

“Now, does anyone have any objections or reasons these two should not be married?” Everyone looked around at each other, and for once, no one dared to make a joke or a disruption. “Good. Then, I now pronounce you two, husband and wife. You are now Mr. and Mrs. Dreyar. Congratulations you two. Laxus, you may now kiss your bride.”

“About time,” Laxus spoke with a smirk as he reached out, grabbed Adryn and pulled her close before leaning over and pressing his lips against hers. Adryn instantly reciprocated and kissed him back as everyone in the guildhall cheered and yelled out various happy things. After a few moments of kissing, Laxus and Adryn parted and smiled at each other.

“Alright! Now let's party!” Master Makarov yelled out, causing everyone to cheer in return. Laxus and Adryn couldn't help but just smile at each other as everyone around them began to jump up and head for the alcohol. The two of them were content to just stand there and enjoy their moment before partying. They just wanted to bask in the happiness they felt at that moment in time.


	21. After The Wedding

Eventually, Adryn and Laxus are drawn into the partying. The married couple was sat down at a table and were brought drinks, however, before Adryn could start drinking, Bickslow approached her. 

“Hey, Adryn? Can I talk to you for a moment?” Bickslow questioned as he motioned for Adryn to come with him to a quieter side of the guildhall. 

“Uh... sure?” Adryn responded in a questioning tone. She looked to Laxus who was now speaking with his grandfather and just shrugged her shoulders. She then got up from the table and followed Bickslow to where he guided her to. “So, what's up? Is there something wrong?” 

“No, well I don't think so at least.” Bickslow's words were confusing to the girl. She couldn't think about a single reason as to what Bickslow would have to say to her. 

“What does that even mean?” 

“You can't drink anything anymore, alright?”

“I literally just spent a night of drinking, what's the problem?” Adryn was getting a little upset with the man in front of her and he could tell.

“Don't freak out, but I can see another soul within you.”

“You can what now?!” Adryn looked down at her stomach in realization. She began to breathe heavily and it caused Bickslow to put his hands on her shoulders. 

“You are pregnant. I don't think that all you drank last night will hurt anything since it is so early, but you should get checked out in the morning.” Bickslow was trying to calm the girl down, but it only made it worse. Adryn took a step away from the man and held her face in her hands. 

“I can't believe it. I'm going to have another child, and this time I'll hopefully remember it all.” To Bickslow's surprise, Adryn was excited and happy about the situation. She removed her hands and smiled up at Bickslow. “Thank you for telling me. I'm just... so happy now.” Adryn couldn't help the tears that began to escape her eyes. Bickslow just smiled back at the girl, but his smile left when they both heard a voice. 

“What's going on over here? Why is my wife crying?” It was Laxus who'd finally realized that Adryn was gone, only to turn and see her crying. Bickslow instantly put his hands up and took a step back.

“I was just telling her something, I swear,” Bickslow stated before he took off in another direction. Laxus was at Adryn's side now and was caught off guard when she threw herself at him and hugged him tightly. 

“What's going on, Adryn?” Laxus was thoroughly confused now. 

“Laxus, Bickslow can see another soul within me. I'm pregnant!” Hearing those words from Adryn caused Laxus' brain to fizzle out for a moment. He just stared down at her, wide-eyed and confused. It took him a few moments to process the words that she'd spoken to him. Then, he smiled down at her. 

“Seriously? You're going to have a baby, my baby?” 

“Isn't it amazing?!” Adryn laughed as she spoke and was cut off by Laxus wrapping his arms around her. The two held each other for a moment before pulling apart. “Let's tell everyone!”

“Yeah.” Laxus couldn't help but agree. The smile that was on Adryn's face was one that wasn't always there. It was pure happiness and elation. Adryn didn't always get the chance to feel like that, so Laxus would do anything to make sure it stayed there or at least returned another time. 

“What are you two doing over there all alone and are you crying, Adryn?” Eclipse questioned a little worried about the two of them. However, Laxus and Adryn just looked at each other and smiled before speaking in unison. 

“We're having a baby!” The married couple's words shocked everyone and caused silence before everyone burst out into excitement. That caused everyone to begin partying harder and louder. 

After some time of partying, Adryn and Laxus found themselves surrounded by a group. The group was Bickslow, Freed, Evergreen, Eclipse, Nova, Mirajane and Master Makarov.

“What do you think the gender will be?” Eclipse questioned the group. “I think it will be another girl.” 

“Same,” Nova responded with Evergreen and Mirajane nodding their heads in return. 

“I think it will be a boy,” Freed stated with the other men nodding their heads in return as well. “What do you two think?” Freed questioned as he looked to Laxus and Adryn.

“Whatever it will be, they will be loved and cared for no matter what,” Adryn responded simply with a smile on her face. 

“Exactly.” Laxus agreed instantly with his wife. 

“Well, what names is everyone thinking of?” Adryn asked the group around her. 

“Willow,” Eclipse responded almost immediately. “But don't use that, I want to name my future daughter that.”

“Then why did you... never mind.” Adryn couldn't help but laugh at her best friend's words. The group then continued to chat about names and what they would want Adryn and Laxus' kid's name to be. 

“You should name him 'Bickslow',” Bickslow stated with a smirk on his face. 

“What? Why?” Eclipse questioned, seemingly offended that he'd suggest that. 

“I was the first one to figure out that Adryn is pregnant. So I should get their kid named after me.” 

“Um, no. There isn't a chance in hell that I'd ever let them name their child after you.” Hearing that from Eclipse, Bickslow couldn't help but chuckle. 

“Now, now, there is no need to be mean, we wouldn't name our child after someone for such a reason,” Adryn spoke up causing the conversation to be over. However, Bickslow began to pout and Eclipse couldn't help but chuckle at that. Which caused the others to laugh as well, minus Bickslow of course. 

Adryn couldn't help but look around at those she cares about and tear up a little bit. She was so thankful for them all and she wouldn't change anything about how she got there. 

~

About a week later, Eclipse and Nova sprung an announcement upon Adryn. The three girls had been having lunch at the guildhall together. They'd just been chatting about their plans when Eclipse and Nova turned to look at each other sadly. 

“Adryn... Today, Nova and I are leaving.” Eclipse spoke up after a moment. 

“Where are you... Oh, you're leaving, leaving. You aren't coming back anytime soon, are you?” Adryn frowned and looked down at her hands. 

“I never wanted to just leave like this, but I knew if I told you when we were leaving, then you would try to stop us.” 

“Of course I would! There is no need for you two to go anywhere!”

“We need to start a new life. Somewhere where people don't know us. Somewhere where-”

“Where I'm not. Right?” Adryn's sad words cut off Eclipse. That silenced the pink-haired girl and caused Nova to frown deeply. 

“Adryn, I'm so sorry that I'm taking Eclipse away from you, but I know that I can't go on without my sister. I just...” Nova's voice trailed off sadly.

“No, no. I understand. It's alright. I can't ask you two to separate from each other.” 

“I will miss you, Adryn,” Eclipse muttered sadly after a moment of silence. 

“No, you won't. We will...” Adryn got choked up and began to cry. “We will write to each other so much that we'll get tired of each other. However, just wait to write to me. Wait until you two get to where you want to be. Then write to me and I'll respond as soon as I get the letter.” By the end of Adryn's sentences, she was in full-blown tears. 

“I promise, I'll write to you then. Alright? Don't cry.” Eclipse herself was crying as well now. 

“You're crying too!” Adryn cried out causing Eclipse to chuckle through her tears. Adryn joined in on the laughing and Nova did as well, even though she was also crying. 

“What is going on over here? Why are you three crying?” Hearing a sudden male voice, the girls jolted and turned to the voice. It was Laxus standing there, having seen Adryn upset. He'd wanted to check in on Adryn due to her suddenly crying. 

“They are leaving today.” Adryn simply stated as she began to wipe away her tears. 

“Leaving? Already?” Laxus asked as he sat down beside Adryn. 

“Yeah, it's time,” Eclipse responded as she as well wiped away her tears. “We have our bags here with us, so we're just going to head to the train station and leave.” 

“We'll walk you there. No saying 'no' to it.” Adryn instantly responded. The two girls nodded their heads and stood up. 

“We'll go say goodbye to those who we've met during our stay here.” With that, Eclipse and Nova went off to say their goodbyes. 

“How are you holding up?” Laxus asked his wife as he turned to look to her. 

“I'm... I'm not too happy about this, but I know this is something they need to do for themselves.” Adryn responded simply with a sad look on her face. 

“Even though Eclipse will be far, you'll always be together.”

“What does that even mean, Laxus?” Adryn couldn't help but chuckle at her man's words. Laxus just looked away from her. 

“I don't know. I just thought hearing that would help you?” Laxus clearly wasn't even sure about what he'd said in the first place. 

“That's sweet, but I'll be alright.” Adryn leaned against the man and smiled. “I'll miss them, but it'll be alright. As long as they are happy, it'll be okay.” 

“Okay, we can leave now.” Eclipse's voice startled the redhead. She hadn't seen Eclipse and Nova approach them again. “I'm sorry, but I made Serenity cry. She didn't want to see me go, but she understood.”

“That's alright, I'll cheer her up later.” 

So, with that, the 4 of them began their journey to the train station. Along the way, the three girls chatted about their future plans. Eclipse hoped and knew that one day she'd come across Dracul once again. She just hoped it happened before she turned 60. Nova just hoped that she would find true happiness like Adryn had. Adryn herself wanted one thing; for the child, she was carrying to be happy and healthy. 

“Well... I guess this is-”

“It's not goodbye. It's just... a see you later type of situation.” Adryn's words told Eclipse that this wasn't something to argue on. So, Eclipse just smiled sadly and hugged the redhead. The two held each other for a little while before parting. Adryn and Nova then looked to each other and threw themselves at each other. The two hugged as well and spoke to each other. “No matter what happened between us, I'll miss you.” 

“I'll miss you as well,” Nova responded sadly. Then Eclipse threw herself into the hug and the three of them held each other until the station announced that the train had arrived. 

“Like I'll meet Dracul again, we'll meet each other one day as well!” Eclipse cried out as tears began to flow once again. Adryn and Nova began to tear up as well. 

“We'll meet again one day,” Adryn noted sadly. The other two nodded their heads and then picked up their bags. 

“See you later, Adryn, Laxus.” Both Eclipse and Nova stated as they began to walk away. They quickly disappeared into the train. Laxus and Adryn stood there until the train disappeared out of sight. 

“I miss them already,” Adryn muttered mostly to herself. Laxus put his arm around her and pulled her close to him. 

“It'll be fine. I'm sure Serenity is still crying though, we should head back and cheer her up.” Laxus stated simply causing Adryn to nod her head. 

“Yeah, let's go.” So, with that, the two of them headed back to the guildhall. They were silent the whole way there, but they were thinking about how to cheer up their daughter. However, once they got there, they realized that Serenity was alright. She had coloring supplies on the table in front of her and she was clearly drawing something. 

As Laxus and Adryn got closer to Serenity and saw what the little girl was drawing. There were 9 figures in purple and a bunch of other figures in the background in red. There was a sun in the background and the sky was a light shade of blue. 

“Hey, Serenity? Who are those people in purple?” Adryn questioned as she sat down next to her daughter. Laxus sat down on the other side of Serenity in return. 

“This one is you, this one is father, then this one is Uncle Freed, Aunt Evergreen is that one, Uncle Bickslow is this one, Aunt Mira is that one and grandfather is this one. Oh! And this one is Aunt Eclipse! Then this little one is me and the other little one next to me is my new baby brother.” Serenity's last sentence startled Adryn and Laxus. 

“What do you mean you 'new baby brother'?” 

“You are having a boy. He will be my baby brother.” Serenity looked up at Adryn confused at having to reply that. 

“Well, I am not sure what I'm having yet, Serenity. However, no matter what it will be, we'll love them.”

“No, mother, you are having a boy. I know it.” Serenity's tone clearly told Adryn that she wasn't supposed to argue with the child. However, she was alright with not arguing, as she was freaked out. Adryn was obviously startled, so Laxus quickly began to speak. 

“I'd be happy to have a boy. We already have an amazing daughter, so a son would be good.” Laxus spoke up to break the silence that Adryn had caused. Serenity liked that answer and smiled up at her father. 

“Color with me, alright father?” 

“Alright.” Laxus was given a piece of paper and some coloring utensils. After a few minutes of just sitting there, Adryn was broken out of her startled state. Serenity had slid a piece of paper to her mother and handed her a blue crayon. 

“Color with us, mother!” Serenity happily called out, causing Adryn to smile at her daughter. 

“Of course.” Adryn then began to draw and color flowers before looking over to see what Laxus was drawing. The man was drawing a stormy day with his crayons. Adryn couldn't help but chuckle as she watched Laxus draw lightning. 

“What's so funny?” Serenity turned to her mother in confusion. Adryn just shook her head and smiled at Serenity. 

“It's nothing. I... I just feel so lucky to have found a family. Since I never had one before.” Serenity just leaned against her mother and smiled up at her. Adryn couldn't help but wrap her arms around her child and hold her for a moment. Adryn truly was thankful for everything that she had. She would never trade this for anything else in the entire world.


	22. Epilogue

Months later, it was time for Adryn to give birth. At first, Adryn was calm and collected. The pain wasn't too serious and she was handling it well. It was just her, Laxus and a few doctors in the room. The doctors were hopeful that everything would go well. That was until Adryn was hit with a particularly painful contraction. One after another, the pain kept coming in waves and it progressively got worse. It got worse and worse until Adryn was screaming at everyone and no one in particular. 

“You need to remain calm Adryn, everything will be alright.” One of the doctors told the screaming and now panicking girl. 

“Get this thing out of me!” Adryn yelled at the doctors around her. She was holding onto Laxus' hand tightly and nearly squeezing the blood out of his hand. 

“Adryn, you are breaking my hand,” Laxus muttered a little nervously to the girl. She just snapped her head towards him and growled at him.

“I'm giving birth to your child! I think I'm worse off than your hand!” 

“You're right...” Laxus just tried his hardest to remain calm in face of Adryn's freaking out. 

“You're almost ready to start pushing. Alright, Adryn? Just hold on and keep breathing.” Another doctor spoke to the girl. She was now screaming incoherently again and wasn't really listening to the doctors. After a few more minutes of screaming, the doctors gave Adryn the go-ahead to start pushing. After that, everything seemed to go incredibly quickly. Adryn was able to get the baby out without any complications. 

“It's a boy!” The doctors informed the girl who was now relaxing a bit. Adryn and Laxus looked at each other and smiled. They were surprised to hear that, considering they didn't know what the gender as before then. However, it was more shocking that Serenity had guessed it right. Well more than guessed it, Serenity had known that Adryn was going to have a baby boy. Even so, they'd already picked out a name for a boy and a girl. Now, it seemed that the boy name was coming into play. Not that they weren't happy about it. If anything, Adryn was relieved. 

“When can I hold my baby?” Adryn questioned, having that being the only thing in her mind at that moment in time. 

“We'll get him cleaned up and get you all cleaned up and then you can hold him, alright? We need to make sure everything is alright with you and the baby.” One of the doctors spoke up as he set the baby in something. Adryn frowned but nodded her head. Laxus wanted to see the baby up close, but he ultimately decided to remain by Adryn's side while they were finishing up everything. 

“How are you feeling?” Laxus asked his wife as she kept her eyes on where her baby boy was. 

“I feel like I could sleep for 8 years, but I want to wait until I see our son,” Adryn responded simply as she watched the doctors deal with checking out the baby to make sure everything was alright with him. As some of the doctors were dealing with the baby, others dealt with Adryn and got her all ready and checked her over as well. Once both mother and child were deemed alright and healthy, the doctors handed the baby to Adryn first. “Oh my... Look at him Laxus, he's... he's amazing!” Adryn was moved to tears at holding her child for the first time. 

“We'll leave you to meeting your baby, and we'll let everyone know that they can come in.” A doctor stated as they all packed up their things and began to leave the room. 

“Thank you!” Adryn called out after them as they left. She was so very thankful for all their help and, well you know, the whole helping her with the birth situation. That was nice as well.

“He's beautiful.” Laxus found himself saying as he leaned over to look at his son. The baby had a little bunch of blond hair the same color as Laxus'. Adryn secretly hoped that he'd have her eyes though, as currently, they were blue. Before Laxus or Adryn could speak again, people came pouring into the room. First was Master Makarov, who'd shoved people out of the way to get in first. Then the Thunder Legion came in with Serenity in tow. She was holding onto Freed's hand in fact. 

“Mother? Is everything alright?” Serenity questioned as she looked up to her still crying mom. 

“Everything is more than alright. Come here.” Adryn responded as she motioned for Serenity to come closer. Freed then helped the little girl sit up on the bed Adryn was laying on. “Look, this is your baby brother. You were right.” 

“Of course I was right.” Serenity stated with a smile on her face as she leaned over towards the baby. “So, what is his name?” 

“Yes, what is his name?” Master Makarov questioned the couple. Adryn looked to Laxus with a smile on her face. 

“Tell them,” Adryn told Laxus as she looked back to her baby. 

“We've decided to name him Makarov, but we'll call him Rov for short,” Laxus explained, causing his grandfather to nearly fall over in surprise. 

“You don't have to do that, you know that right?” Master Makarov instantly said once he recovered. 

“We aren't naming him after you because we felt like we had to. We're naming him after you because we felt like there was no better name than yours to name him.” Adryn explained with a huge smile on her face. 

“Well... thank you then...” Master Makarov was getting all blubbery about it and tears were welling up in his eyes. 

“Oh come on, why couldn't you name him after me?” Bickslow questioned, with his babies repeating “After me!” a couple of times. Adryn just began to laugh in response to that which caused the others to chuckle as well. Adryn was so glad to be surrounded by people she cared about, but she was missing 2 people and hoped she'd hear from them soon. 

~

About a week later, Adryn's hopes were answered in the form of a letter arriving for her at the guildhall. It was a black envelope with lavender paper inside of it. The lettering was black, of course. That caused Adryn to realize that it was from Eclipse, without even reading who it was from. She, however, checked the name on the envelope and saw that it was indeed from Eclipse. 

The letter stated:   
'Hey Adryn, it's been a long while. I hope everything is alright with you and the baby. I'm assuming that the baby has been born by now. I'm excited to hear what it is and the name of the child. I hope you write me back letting me know. 

Nova and I are at the end of Fiore and have set up a little home here. It's a nice 2 bedroom home in the making. It was just a little shack, but we're turning it into a proper home. It's beautiful where we are. Maybe I'll paint it and send it to you so you can see how beautiful it is here. 

OH! You'll never guess what! The guy from your pre-wedding party, Dracul, he's here as well! We ran into each other on our way to this town and we decided to stick together. He'll be staying in another part of the town permanently for my sake. We hit it off well again and we're actually dating now. We're going slowly though since you know, this is my first ever relationship. 

Nova has also found love in the form of Dracul's younger sister who came to visit him a little while ago. She is about Nova's age and is very beautiful. She looks nothing like you, so don't worry, she isn't trying to live out the old days through this new girl. Oh, her name is Aria. 

Anyway, once we get everything fully set up here, we'll all come by and visit the baby and you. I hope to hear from you soon telling me all about the baby and how your life has been going so far. I love you Adryn. You're still my best friend. No matter how far apart we are.

Love, Eclipse'

Reading the letter nearly brought Adryn to tears. She was so thrilled to hear from Eclipse. Adryn was extremely happy to hear that Eclipse had found Dracul again and that Nova even found someone new to love. It was even more amazing to hear that they would soon visit her and the new baby. So with a lot of writing ideas in mind, Adryn asked for some paper and some writing utensils and began to write a letter back to Eclipse. 

Adryn's letter stated:  
'Hey Eclipse! It's so great to finally hear from you after all this time. I was beginning to worry about you and Nova, but I guess I had nothing to worry about as it seems like things are going great for you two! I'm so happy for the two of you. I never thought you'd find Dracul so easily and I never thought that he'd lead Nova to having someone new to love. It's just so great to hear that. 

To answer your wonders about my baby... His name is Makarov, but we call him Rov so no one gets confused or anything. He is happy and healthy. Serenity is thrilled to have a baby brother and I'm sure that Laxus is also thrilled to have a mini him. I wanted Rov to have my eyes, but it seems like they will be Laxus' eye color instead. Not that I'm complaining or anything! I just wanted to see something of me in my son, but I'm sure he'll have my personality... Oh, I sure hope not. I hope he'll be a perfect mix of Laxus and myself. However, no matter how he turns out, he'll be perfect.

Oh gosh, I just went on and on about Rov, sorry about that. Anyway, I'm just so happy to hear all about your new lives and I can't wait until you all come here again. I'm super excited to officially meet yours and Nova's lovers, even though I already met Dracul, but it's different now that he's your lover. I'll be waiting for your next letter or for whenever you decide to show up. I love you too, Eclipse. Never forget that. No matter what we've been through, you've always been my very best friend and you always will be.

Sincerely, Adryn'

Once Adryn was done writing and was happy with how it turned out, she asked Mirajane to make sure it got to where it was supposed to go. After that, Adryn left for home. She'd only shown up at the guildhall for the letter. Adryn, Laxus, and Serenity, along with Rov hadn't been to the guildhall all that week. They were spending time enjoying their life as a family. Of course, various people from the guild showed up at their home to visit with Rov and the others, but mostly the family was kept alone. They would eventually head back tot he guildhall with Rov once he was a little older and once everyone there could most definitely be calm around him, but for now, they'd stay at home and take turns heading to the guildhall and wherever else they wanted to go. 

As Adryn walked into her home, she noticed Laxus standing next to the couch. As she got closer, she realized he was watching over Serenity who was holding Rov in her arms. Both of them were asleep. Laxus was hovering around them to make sure Rov wasn't dropped, but it seemed like Serenity had a death grip on the baby. 

“Hey, how'd everything go?” Laxus asked Adryn once he noticed her presence. 

“Oh, everything went well. I'll tell you all about the letter later, alright?” Adryn responded as she smiled and fully approached the couch to stand next to Laxus. “How are they doing?”

“They are getting along well. Serenity really loves Rov and I think he really loves her as well.” 

“That makes me happy.” Adryn then leaned against Laxus and wrapped her arms around his arm. “You know, we're really lucky to end up with such a great family, our immediate family, and our guild family.” 

“Yeah.” Laxus couldn't help but smile in response to Adryn's words. 

“I'm... I'm so glad that things turned out this way and I hope the things to come are as great as they are at this moment in time.” 

“Yeah.” Laxus couldn't think of any other response, prompting Adryn to laugh and look up to him. Laxus then leaned down and kissed Adryn, a simple kiss that honestly meant the world to Adryn. “I promise I will always be by your side and our children's sides, no matter what life throws our way.” Laxus' words warned Adryn's heart and caused a bright smile to appear on her face. 

“I promise that to you and our children as well. No matter what or who happens, I will always be by your sides.” Adryn and Laxus shared another kiss, that would be one of many more to come in their lifetime together. They never thought a love like this could happen to two people thrown together, but now, they were so very happy that it did happen. They weren't just happy due to each other, they were happy because of all the people in their life and most of all, their children. They knew that nothing would stand in the way of their happiness now and they would make sure that nothing stood in the way of their children's happiness as well. There will still be hard times for them, but they knew that after everything they went through, nothing in the world, not even death would tear them apart.


End file.
